Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 489: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on the Blackstock Report; if she intends to implement its recommendations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23811/06]

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 491: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans to address the discrepancy in the level of funding provided to voluntary second level schools and those in the community and comprehensive sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23828/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 489 and 491 together.

As the Deputies will be aware, differing funding arrangements have evolved for the different school types at second level. At the core of all arrangements is a reliance upon capitation as the principle determinant of funding. There are however significant differences in the approaches to the funding of back-up services such as for secretaries and caretakers. Following on the Blackstock Report, which reviewed this area including the matter of equity of funding between the different sectors, a range of equalisation measures have been introduced that are designed to reduce the historic anomalies in the funding arrangements.

In addition to the increases in the standard per capita grant that now stands at €298 per pupil from January last, voluntary secondary schools have benefited additionally by the introduction of grants under the School Services Support initiative. The standard support services grant that was increased to €107 per pupil from January 2006, now stands at €159 per pupil since January 2006 in the case of voluntary secondary schools. This equalisation measure of €52 per pupil for voluntary secondary schools, is paid in addition to grants of up to €15,554 per school. Schools are afforded considerable flexibility in the use of these resources to cater for the needs of their pupils.

I am committed to improving further the funding position of second level schools in the light of available resources and to addressing the issue of equity highlighted by the voluntary school sector.