Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Urgent consideration must be given to a restructuring of the capitation grant for primary schools, with a greater payment per pupil where enrolment is low. There are the same basic costs in maintaining a classroom regardless of the number of pupils in the room. For decades, small schools have played a key role in providing education, particularly in rural areas, but in some instances in urban areas. I refer, for example, to Cavan No. 1 National School in Cavan town, which is under the patronage of the Church of Ireland. This issue is of great importance to schools under the patronage of smaller churches. Adequate supports must be provided for such schools to ensure they remain viable, are within a reasonably accessible distance, and are able to offer the same range of education services as other schools.

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