Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 220: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will review her reply to Parliamentary Question No. 599 of 8 November 2005 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37407/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Enormous progress has been made in the funding of second level schools since 2002, the financial year indicated in the OECD report in question. The OECD report examined changes in expenditure since the mid-1990s. It shows that public expenditure on education in Ireland has increased substantially between 1995 and 2002 at all levels, even when allowing for inflation. According to data provided by the Department of Education and Science, per pupil expenditure in Ireland, at second level, has increased by 16% from €5,845 in 2002, constant 2004 prices, to €6,788 in 2004.

Although no internationally comparable data are available for years later than 2002, the gap between expenditure here and across the OECD is likely to have narrowed further. Increased national income and public expenditure has enabled us to reduce average class size over time as well as increase expenditure on salaries and other areas of current expenditure.

In accordance with my policy of encouraging the uptake of science and technological subjects, additional equipment grants have been provided to schools at post-primary level, and laboratories continue to be refurbished as part of the ongoing schools building programme. In that context, €16 million was provided to schools in 2004 to support the implementation of the revised junior certificate science syllabus.

In the case of the student-teacher ratio, the figure for Ireland at second level has fallen from 15.8 in 1997-98 to 13.6 in 2003-04, which is in line with the international average. For school year, 2004/05, the student-teacher ratio was 13.4:1. Where a school management authority is unable to meet essential curricular commitments, the Department of Education and Science will consider applications for additional short term support. An independent appeals committee is available to school authorities who wish to appeal the adequacy of their teacher allocation.

In addition, there has been a significant improvement in the allocation of teachers who are specifically dedicated to providing education for children with special educational needs. At second-level, there are some 1,614 wholetime equivalent wholetime teachers now in place as compared to some 558 wholetime teachers in 2001-02 school year for such pupils. The number of teaching posts allocated to schools to cater for non-national pupils with significant English language deficits has increased from 113 wholetime in 2001/02 to 249 wholetime in school year 2004/05.

In addition, the Department of Education and Science has provided for a further allocation of 100 posts to guidance from September 2005. I recently announced in the 2006 Estimates, of further significant increases in the level of funding for second level schools. The standard per capita grant which stood at €256 per pupil in school year 2001/02 will be increased by a further €12 to €298 per pupil from January next. Secondary schools will also benefit, under the school services support fund initiative, from further significant increases in the support services grant. The support grant that was increased for secondary schools from €131 per pupil in January last to €145 per pupil, will be increased by a further €14 per pupil to €159 per pupil in January next. These grants are in addition to the per capita funding of up to €40,000 per school that is provided by the Department of Education and Science to secondary schools towards secretarial and caretaking services.

A secondary school with 500 pupils now receives annual grants of up to €270,000 towards general expenses and support services as against annual grants of up to €237,000 in 2002. These significant increases in the funding of post-primary schools are a clear demonstration of my commitment to prioritise available resources to address the needs of schools.