Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this issue. I am in the House on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, who was unable to attend.

I am glad to have the opportunity to outline to the House the funding arrangements for the Educate Together organisation, an issue which is well recognised. I visited one of its excellent schools in the Senator's area recently and know that the organisation is doing great work. Naturally, all of us involved in education would like to see greater resources and, as the position improves, it is our aim to try to match resources with demand as best we can.

I inform the Senator that the Minister met a delegation from Educate Together yesterday and funding for the management body was a priority on its agenda. Despite continuing financial challenges, the Government has remained committed to protecting front-line education services as far as possible. This priority commitment was most recently demonstrated in budget 2015 when the Minister's priority was to provide funding to maintain class sizes and ensure the education system could recruit more teachers. As a result, almost 1,400 additional teachers will be taken on in primary and post-primary schools next year. The budget also provides for an increase of 365 in the existing cap on the numbers of special needs assistant posts. Funding provision has been made to provide the additional school places needed to meet the increased demand and progress the reform agenda in education. Our main priority for additional resources for the foreseeable future will be to cater for the continuing increase in demographics at all levels in the education system.

As a matter of policy, the Department does not fund patrons or patron bodies. It does, however, provide annual grants for the recognised management bodies at primary and post-primary level to assist them in providing management support for the schools in their sectors. Management bodies such as the CPSMA, Educate Together, the Church of Ireland Board of Education at primary level or second level, the JMB-AMCSS, the IVEA and the ACCS provide important support services for schools in employment, legal, financial and other matters. The individual management bodies' remit reflects the particular patronage of the schools which they serve.

In 2013 the core funding for the management bodies at primary level amounted to some €760,000, of which the Educate Together management body received €133,000. This level of funding has regard to the number of schools served by Educate Together and the level of funding provided for other management bodies at primary level. Educate Together is the national body for 69 primary schools, although the Senator referred to a figure of 75, which perhaps refers to schools it intends to take over.