Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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104. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider ring-fencing the current capitation grant rates for primary schools and introducing a supplementary system whereby schools may apply for additional capitation funding based on the condition of the school and other needs in order to introduce a fairer scheme and to address the higher expenditure older schools incur. [25913/15]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister consider changing the capitation grant system to provide a reliable system of payment to schools most in need, which would take account of a school's age, location and student composition?

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The last budget included an increase in spending on education for the first time in recent years, amounting to additional funding of €60 million during 2015. That increase has provided funding for 1,700 additional teachers and SNAs to be recruited for our schools, as well as funding important reforms. However, it was not possible to secure the funding which would be required to also increase the rates of capitation paid to our schools.

The running costs of recognised primary schools are not budgeted for individually by the Department. It would not be feasible to grant-aid over 3,300 schools in this way. The running costs of these schools are met by my Department's schemes of capitation and ancillary services grants.

I do recognise the need to improve capitation funding for primary schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years. In the last budget I was able to secure the first increase in education spending in recent years. I am determined to continue pressing the case for increased investment in education in the forthcoming budget.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I acknowledge the Minister's answer but since budget 2011, there has been, in total, a 5% cut in capitation grants to primary schools, which has had a negative impact. I support the call not only for that cut to be reversed but also to bring the primary capitation grant up to the secondary school level, as the INTO has sought.

We should also be examining a capitation grant system to ensure that old, inefficient, pre-fab schools can be replaced. Such schools have to make do with the same capitation grant levels as brand new ones. As the Minister knows, new schools are more cost-efficient in lighting and heating. They are built to new standards, yet the same capitation grant applies to a 200-year-old school where the heat is going out the windows.

Due to cuts to capitation grants and to the summer works scheme over the years, these schools have had to make do with lower payments. In recent times, therefore, they have been finding it even more difficult to stretch the available funds.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The practical difficulty is that we have over 3,000 schools. It would be very difficult to assess the individual annual running costs for each school which is why we have a capitation grant system. We try to address the concerns of older schools, and schools with particular problems, through summer works and emergency works. For example, replacing windows and roofs, or other structural issues that may arise in schools, are generally addressed in that way.

It is probably true to say that newer schools are more cost-effective in terms of energy needs. We have been trying to upgrade schools and replace pre-fabs with new buildings but that is a work in progress. I will be fighting for as much funding as I can get in the next budget to ensure that we have money to do these things.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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What happens in the meantime? We would all like our schools to be replaced by modern, super-efficient ones but that will not be the case. Some schools may build gardens, while others do not have money for heating or simple things like fixing light bulbs. While some schools can find money when necessary, not all schools have the same spending outlay. Given that it is far cheaper to run a newly built school than a 200 year old one, will the Minister consider reviewing the capitation grant system to take account of this? For example, one could have a uniform capitation grant for all schools, plus a top-up for schools with identified problems that make it highly inefficient for them to work, thus placing a greater burden on the capitation grant. Older schools must spend more of the capitation grant on heating and other running costs than do modern schools.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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There is a case for taking the condition into account but we cannot do it unless we have extra money because I certainly do not intend to cut the capitation to some schools to increase it for others. It will have to be in the context of additional funding.