Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 148: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to this Deputy's recent written question in relation to schools in Wicklow, if she will carry out a survey on the impact of water charges on schools. [13444/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As outlined in my previous response to the Deputy, the position regarding water charges for schools is that 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. 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. Since 1997 the standard rate of capitation grant has been increased from IR£45, €57.14, per pupil to €145.58 with effect from 1 January 2006, an increase of almost 155% in the period.