Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I totally get that there are differences between schools. Even within the primary school sector, I made the point that an old school that is very difficult to heat is totally different to a new modern build school. However, a lot of the costs will be the same. There is obviously a question about the overall quantum and there is certainly a case for additional funding for second-level schools. It is about the scale of the difference, and I get the Minister of State's point. The last point in the Department's statement is that this year it is €200 per pupil at primary level. It is €345 at second level. Because of a 12% increase applied to both, it will from this September go to €224 and €386. The actual financial difference is continuing to grow. We all know, when we go into primary schools that every one of them is constantly facing the challenges of meeting the day to day running costs. The model has been used since the 1960s so there is a case to review what is the best economic model to ensure the administrative side of primary schools can be dealt with. I appreciate we are moving into budget negotiations, but the fact that we are now talking about going to €224 for primary school students and €386 at second level represents a significant difference. As a priority we need to address the question of the funding of the administration of our primary schools.

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