Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)

Gabhaim buíochas le Deputy Ó Snodaigh for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the position in regard to Gaelscoil Lir in Dublin 24. I speak on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth. My Irish is not as good as Deputy Ó Snodaigh's, so while I could understand most of what he said to me, I will not be able to respond to him in the same way, so it will have to in English.

First, we will look at the overall position. It is important to say that the Department is committed to offering all available and appropriate supports to schools. In regard to capitation grant funding, the Department is committed to providing funding to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education system by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the capitation grant to cater for day-to-day running costs and the ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff.

The Department has secured €39 million in budget 2026 towards increased capitation funding for primary, post-primary and special schools to provide additional financial support towards their running costs. This will see an increase in the standard capitation rates paid to schools of €50 per pupil for primary schools, from €224 to €274, and of €20 per student for post-primary schools, from €386 to €406. This will also allow for an increase of €20 in capitation rates for urban band 1 DEIS primary schools, increasing the mainstream pupil rate in these schools to €294. The increased capitation rates will also see special schools now receive the same rates of capitation for young people aged 12 and over, as their peers in mainstream post-primary schools.

It is important to say that the increases announced in budget 2026 are in addition to the 12% increases as part of budget 2025. The last three budgets have resulted in an increase in the level of capitation grant rates of 49.7% paid to primary schools and 28.5% paid to post-primary schools.

The financial support services unit, FSSU, funded by the Department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on financial matters, including budgeting and cash flow management. We can send the Deputy the contact details for the FSSU. I will not call them out to him.

Furthermore, if the school should require assistance in regard to financial matters, it is advised to contact officials in the Department. Again, I will ask that the details are supplied to the Deputy.

The information provided to me tells me that there is no record of contact from this school in relation to capitation or ancillary funding in terms of additional support required, but officials from the Department will make contact with the school in order to get further details.

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