Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that the previous Minister, Deputy Bruton, had to consider which of the many issues he faced he should prioritise. Schools have been pleading for capitation increases for many years. The increase in the recent budget was something, but it was very small. Capitation grant funding is still well below where it was in 2010. It is hardly surprising that the INTO has described it as a "pittance", given that it equates to just 4.6 cent per student per day. As the ASTI has stated, the increase will merely keep up with growing student numbers. It is simply not adequate for the real costs of running schools in Ireland today. Principals are under huge financial stress as they seek to make the money stretch. School costs in my constituency of Dublin Rathdown can be higher, but principals have the same amount of money per student to work with as principals in every other part of the country. Schools are buckling under this weight. We spoke at the joint committee about relieving the stress that is being experienced by teachers and principals. The stress in this area could be relieved by means of proper restoration of the capitation grant. According to the action plan, this was supposed to begin in 2017 and was to happen over three years. However, it now appears that the first sign of an increase will be in 2019. What is the clear timeline on which principals, parents and teachers can rely?

See this speech in context