Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

There are two objectives to the installation of the solar panels. The first is to help us to achieve our targets and ensure the schools and the Department of education play their roles in helping to achieve our 2030 and 2050 targets. Second, this is also a real opportunity for us to help to reduce costs for the schools. Many of the schools have just installed solar panels, the 44% that are already there, so it is too early to tell how much of a benefit it will be for them, or what reduction will be seen, but it is certainly estimated that around €5.5 million will be saved across the schools' estate once all the solar panels are installed. Obviously, the more we can provide and the further we can reduce the costs for schools, the better and this is certainly an objective in terms of the capitation and the ancillary supports. It is obviously my objective, and that of the Government, to ensure we continue to increase our supports for schools where they are needed and to look at other ways in which we can reduce costs, with solar panels being one of them. I mentioned before that we need to look at the issue of insurance and how much schools are paying for it and if there is a way we can work to reduce that cost too, so we are not just giving extra money but reducing costs at the same time.

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