Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

As the Deputy is aware, this Government and my Department are committed to supporting our schools and ensuring that they have adequate funding. Capitation increased only in the last few weeks. This was secured in last year's budget. Any negotiations and agreements on next year's budget will be happening in the coming weeks.

I am also interested in not only providing more supports for schools but also making sure we can, where possible, reduce costs. That is why our climate action plan is so important in making sure we retrofit buildings and reduce bills. We should also look at other costs schools are incurring around insurance and in other areas. The Deputy can be assured that we are absolutely committed to supporting schools in as many ways as possible.

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