John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 204: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if extra funding will be made available to schools to cover the costs of water charges as these charges have to be paid out of capitation; if she will clarify if there are avenues open to this sector to avail of grant aid for such expenses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9869/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Funding is provided to primary and secondary schools by way of per capita grants, which afford schools considerable flexibility in the use of these resources to cater for the needs of their pupils.

Primary schools' running costs are met by my Department's scheme of capitation grants. These grants are intended to contribute towards the general operating costs of national schools. The capitation grant has been increased substantially in recent years. Since 1997 the standard rate of capitation grant has been increased from €57.14 per pupil to €133.58 with effect from 1 January 2005 and has been further increased by €12 per pupil with effect from 1 January 2006 bringing the standard rate to €145.58. This represents an increase of almost 155% in the standard rate of capitation grant since 1997.

At second level, the standard per capita grant which stood at €256 per pupil in the school year 2001-02 has been increased by a further €12 to €298 per pupil from January 2006. Under the school services support fund initiative, secondary schools will also benefit from the further significant increases. The grant that was increased for secondary schools from €131 per pupil in January 2005 to €145 per pupil, has been increased by a further €14 per pupil to €159 per pupil from January 2006. These grants are in addition to the per capita funding of up to €40,000 per school that is provided by my Department 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.

Local authority service and other charges payable to the various local authorities do not come within the remit of my Department. It would be a matter for the local authorities to decide whether schools are liable to pay such charges. In the case of waste charges, some local authorities have a flat fee for schools while others waive the fee where the school has achieved the green flag status. Where it is decided that schools are liable for such charges, the cost would form part of the normal running costs of schools and would fall to be met from the capitation funding which schools have received from my Department.

It would not be feasible for my Department to introduce specific schemes whereby grant assistance would be provided to schools in respect of individual charges such as water charges.