Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy acknowledged that the Department has intervened in terms of the cost of secretarial services, wages, salaries and so on, which was a long running issue in primary education. Looking at the broader picture, budget 2024 provided targeted funding for school communities with an increase in capitation-related funding of over €81 million. As part of the capitation package in the budget for 2024, the Minister secured €21 million as a permanent increase in capitation funding to assist schools now and in the long term with increased day-to-day running costs. This supports a permanent restoration of capitation funding to pre-2011 levels for all recognised primary and post-primary schools. She did not reference that, but it is a very significant change in the levels of capitation funding for all schools in the free education scheme. That €81 million secured for capitation-related funding also included €60 million as part of the cost-of-living measures in budget 2024. This was paid to schools in two instalments in October 2023 and in early 2024.

This year's budget increase will bring the standard rate of capitation to €200 per student in primary schools and to €345 in voluntary secondary schools. Enhanced rates will also be paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs. This represents an increase of circa 9.2% on current standard and enhanced capitation rates. In 2023, the Minister announced €50 million to provide free schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks for pupils in primary and special schools. This was a landmark watershed moment in terms of primary education and junior certificate. Never before were free books, copybooks and workbooks provided in this country. Under this Government the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, has done that and that is important. In this year's budget, €68 million has been secured to extend the free schoolbooks to junior cycle students.

In addition, centrally negotiated rates for electricity and bulk heating fuels have been made available to schools through frameworks sourced by the Office of Government Procurement, including a new contract with Electric Ireland for the supply of electricity to schools. That commenced on 1 May of this year and will run for three years. We have already dealt with the extension of the hot school meals programme to all non-DEIS schools that apply. In the broader picture of funding interventions to schools, there have been very significant increases. A lot of progress has been made on some of the historical issues relating to secretaries and caretakers.

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