Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister thanks Senator Murnane O'Connor for raising the important issue of schools funding. Unfortunately I am here on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton, and I do not have any information as to where he is.

The Department of Education and Skills is very conscious of the need to improve capitation funding for schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary since 2011. Restoring capitation funding as resources permit is one of the actions included in the action plan for education and the Government remains committed to achieving this. We must, however, be prudent in the context of ongoing budgetary pressures and prioritise where it is not possible to do everything that we would like to do in the education sector in any one year. Schools must also take responsibility for achieving value for money and for managing their finances responsibly.To assist schools in this regard, the services of the financial service support unit are being rolled out to the primary and the community and comprehensive sectors on a phased basis. This will be an important source of advice and support for schools on financial governance matters. In addition, the Department established the schools procurement unit in 2014 as a central resource to provide guidance to primary and post-primary schools on procurement-related issues. Budget 2018 marked the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continue to implement the Action Plan for Education, which has the central aim to make the Irish education and training service the best in Europe within a decade.

In 2018, the budget for the Department of Education and Skills increased by €554 million to more than €10 billion. In the last two budgets, provision was made for 6,000 extra teachers, 3,000 extra special needs assistants and more than 3,000 new middle management posts. Extra supports were also provided to 110 schools in disadvantaged areas which will benefit 20,000 students, and to build nearly 20,000 extra school places a year. That is the priority this Government puts on education. These resources were allocated to improve the learning experience right across the sector, with a particular focus on children with special educational needs.

Improvements have been made in the restoration of grant funding that is used by schools to fund the salaries of ancillary staff to enable schools to implement the arbitration salary increase for grant-funded school secretaries and caretakers and to implement the restoration of salary for cleaners arising from the unwinding of the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, legislation. The cost of restoring the standard capitation grant to all schools at primary and post-primary level is estimated at some €35 million. However, as I indicated, in considering future investment it will not be possible to satisfy all of the demands placed on the education system at one time. It is therefore important to focus on the top priorities. It is the Minister's hope that funding, while limited in nature, will continue to be made available over the next few years to invest in our schools and to add to the significant progress already made on implementing the Action Plan for Education.