Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. He is saying it is an illustrative example of the challenges when numbers are reducing and then the impact on capitation. We did increase capitation by a record amount of €20 in the latest budget, which is unprecedented in terms of the scale of the increase. The Deputy has raised a very interesting point that I will bring to the attention of the Minister in terms of the next budget. He is essentially proposing a tiered structure that would take into account the impact of declining numbers in rural schools. That is certainly food for thought and I will talk to the Minister in respect of it.

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