Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 510: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department will allocate funding to Educate Together for the continuance of their work in developing a network of multi-denominational schools throughout the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26708/05]

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 512: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the level of funding allocated by her Department to Educate Together for each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26710/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 510 and 512 together.

The level of funding that my Department provides to Educate Together as a school management body is on a par with that provided to Foras Patrúnachta na Gaelscoileanna, the Church of Ireland Board of Education, the Islamic Board of Education and the National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education. However, following discussions with Educate Together my Department has provided additional funding to Educate Together in 2005 to meet the immediate issues of concern to that body. The matter of the future funding to be provided to the primary management bodies, including Educate Together, in 2006 will be considered as part of the normal Estimates process. The amount of funding provided to Educate Together over the past five years is as follows: 2001 — €35,000; 2002 — €39,800; 2003 — €39,800; 2004 — €39,800; and 2005 — €81,133, which includes additional funding.

As regards support for the establishment of new multi-denominational schools, it should be noted that my Department has supported the establishment of many new Educate Together schools in recent years. Of the 24 new schools granted provisional recognition in the past three years, 12 of them are under Educate Together patronage — 11 of which are open.

My Department has made a number of changes in recent years which have made the provision of accommodation for new schools much easier. One of these changes which was strongly welcomed by Educate Together was the abolition of the local contribution to the building costs for State-owned school buildings, which had cost up to €63,500 per school. Other innovations include the development of the design and build model to provide permanent accommodation much faster, such as in the case of the new Educate Together school in Griffeen Valley, Lucan, which was designed and built in under 13 months.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 511: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the level of funding allocated by her Department to each of the multi -denominational schools in the State for each of the most recent three years for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26709/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The schools referred to by the Deputy attract the same standard rate of capitation funding as is paid to other mainstream primary schools. The rates of capitation grants for primary schools have been increased substantially in recent years. Since 1997 the standard rate of capitation grant has been increased from €57.14 per pupil to €121.58 with effect from 1 January 2004 and has been further increased by €12 per pupil with effect from 1 January 2005 bringing the standard rate to €133.58. This represents an increase of almost 134% in the standard rate of capitation grant since 1997.

The standard rate of capitation grant paid per pupil in the last three years was as follows: from 1 January 2003 — €111.58 per pupil; from 1 January 2004 — €121.58 per pupil; and from 1 January 2005 — €133.58 per pupil. Furthermore enhanced rates of capitation funding are paid in respect of children with special educational needs who attend special schools or special classes attached to all mainstream schools. The current rates range from €388.00 to €607.50 per pupil.