Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To clarify on ICT, we gave a commitment as part of the overall strategy that we would provide €200 million to schools over the lifetime of the strategy. What had been provided to date was two amounts of €50 million but they were not exactly every year so they were spaced out. I want to make sure that every year schools get the grant, that they know they are getting it and how much. The €35 million is for this year. I want to make sure there is a further €35 million next year and the following year. Schools are telling me that they want to know they are getting it and how much they are getting. It is not a reduction and I want to make that clear to schools. The intention is very much that it be the same next year as opposed to the end of next year or into the year after.

I appreciate that schools are under pressure and that there are challenges for schools with increased costs as there are with any businesses, homes or any other body or organisation. That is why there have been increases in the budget in the last number of years. The capitation that was announced in the last week for the upcoming September has meant it has gone from €200 to €224 per student. I appreciate that is not what people are looking for and they want more. It is very much my intention, as set out in the programme for Government, to increase that even further in the upcoming budget negotiations. Obviously that has to be worked through.

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