Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The capitation grant is no longer fit for purpose. I know it has been brought up in the House quite a lot, even earlier today, but I add my voice to that. I have met with the INTO and spoken to principals from Bracknagh National School, High Street National School in Belmont, Scoil Mhuire in Tullamore and the Offaly School of Special Education, to name but a few. Schools are under serious financial pressure just to meet basic running costs. Fundraising, which should be for extras like trips, equipment and enrichment of the school experience, is now being used to just keep the doors open. That is not sustainable and it is draining time and energy from teachers and school leaders who should be focused on their students. We need to review how we fund schools, not just to tweak the existing grant. It may be time for a new national plan rather than leaving it to the individual schools to sink or swim. Just because it is the way we have always done it does not mean it is the right way. Let us fix this for our schools and for our students.

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