Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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57. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on his Department's budgetary situation; if he will undertake to reverse the reductions in capitation; if he will commit to properly funded summer works and minor works schemes in view of the financial pressure on schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29687/14]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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My question is to ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on his Department's budgetary situation, if he will undertake to reverse reductions in school capitation that he implemented, and if he will commit to properly funded summer works and minor works schemes in view of the financial pressure on our schools.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Provisional net overall expenditure to the end of June 2014 by the Department is more or less on target. Expenditure of almost €3.88 billion is running just €24 million, or 0.6%, behind profile, with €7 million on current expenditure and €17 million on capital. The Department continues to closely monitor the financial position with a view to ensuring that expenditure remains within the allocation for the year. This Government has sought to protect education spending and maintain front-line education services as far as possible. However, levels of educational expenditure cannot be determined in a manner that ignores the economic reality. Consequently, there is no scope to reverse the decision taken in budget 2012 to reduce the level of capitation payable. Within the Department's overall multi-annual capital allocation, over €28 million was issued to primary schools last November for the school year 2013-14 under the minor works grant scheme, while more than €70 million in total has been allocated to the 2014 summer works scheme to allow more than 770 schools nationwide to undertake improvement works. Funding for future minor works and summer works schemes is subject to funding.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the fact that a minor works grant was paid out this academic year and that there was a summer works scheme under which many schools across the country had essential work done, which had been delayed by cuts to the summer works scheme budget. Funding for schools is not just for election years; it must take place on a continuous basis. The Government has had three budgets and for the first two there was no summer works scheme, no minor works grant and cuts to capitation. In the run-up to the local elections, money was given out, which was welcome because of the pressure schools are under. However, there is no commitment to funding in future years. Despite the many times I pressed the former Minister, Deputy Quinn, there is no commitment to ensuring it is provided next year or the year after. Meanwhile, many of our schools are under massive pressure and we know the Government is under pressure in regard to finances. By withdrawing these funds from schools, the Department is transferring the pressure to fill the gap in school funding back to the hard-pressed families with young children. It is the sector of our society that is most pressed financially. We should look to protect them, not increase the burden on them and on our schools.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I agree with some of the sentiment of the Deputy. In a perfect world, we would have the perfect pot of money to allow us to do everything we could within the education sphere to ensure the amount of voluntary contributions made by parents through charitable donations and fundraising was lessened considerably. There is a macroeconomic picture, however, and we must reduce the deficit to 3% by a certain year. Fianna Fáil subscribes to that philosophy and that means the education silo has a finite pot of money. To govern is to choose, and we must make choices about where to allocate funding. With regard to the comment about electioneering, Deputy McConalogue's party is a dab hand at making announcements prior to elections. Let us take the cynicism out of it and say that we have tried to ensure we put money into schools through the minor works scheme and the summer works scheme where it is necessary. Some schools missed out because of the prioritisation process, but they are not being cut out of the pot. Hopefully, these schools will go in the pot for next year, and it is the intention, if we are €500 million ahead of profile in terms of overall taxation receipts, that it will reflect positively on the education budget. This will allow us to fund projects such as those outlined in the question.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Minister of State clarify that if it looks like the economy and finances are ahead of profile in terms of the overall financial budget, the summer works scheme and minor works grant will be a priority for Government in the upcoming budget and that he will ensure there is money allocated for these next year? Because the Government made the choice not to pay these moneys in the past two years, we can triple the number of schools that need summer works scheme money this year and we can triple the amount primary schools need because of the money they lost out on for two years in regard to the minor works grant. Evidence from the Catholic Primary Schools Managers Association, CPSMA, shows that in the past year half of schools were spending more than they were taking in and that some of them are in severe debt.

I pointed out earlier that at an Oireachtas committee this week, the Archdiocese of Dublin indicated that its calculations and assessments of the schools under its remit show that up to 10% of them are in a situation where they will not be able to continue as a school two years from now. This is a serious situation, largely brought about by the policies the Government has introduced. I know there are difficulties, but the Government has made the choice to put the burden on schools, which are putting it back on parents who cannot afford it. The Government needs to change that direction. With a new Minister for Education and Skills, we need to see prioritisation given to ensuring these grants are paid next year. Will the Minister of State confirm that will be a top priority for the Government in the upcoming budget?

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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In March 2011, the macroeconomic picture in this country was abysmal and we were a programme country. However, we have been able to maintain the capital budget and we have a five-year programme where we are replacing prefabs and building new schools. Therefore, in spite of the economic circumstances in which we find ourselves, we have been able to build out and replace the prefabs that have been in existence since the height of the boom. Therefore, there is no doubting the Government's commitment to trying to ensure funding is put in place for necessary work.

We have not yet started the proper discussions around budget 2015. Therefore, it would be premature to give an absolute commitment at this stage. However, if we had committed funding for this year, 2014, and if the economic profile is getting better, one would be hopeful. That is all one can say. If the Deputy was standing where I am standing, this is what he would be saying. We would hope to be in a position to try to ensure that schools funding for the necessary repairs and minor works will be provided, but we cannot say that for certain until we have got through the negotiations on budget 2015.