Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 490: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the plans she has to assist schools with rising insurance costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23812/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Insurance costs for schools are entirely a matter for the managerial authorities of individual schools. My Department provides funding to primary and secondary schools by way of per capita grants, which affords schools considerable flexibility in the use of these resources to cater for the needs of their pupils. This is in my view a preferable approach to putting in place grants for specific cost items such as insurance.

There have been significant improvements in the level of funding provided to primary and post-primary schools. Since 1997 the standard rate of capitation grant at primary level has been increased from €57.14 per pupil to €133.58 with effect from 1st January, 2005 and has been further increased by €12 per pupil with effect from 1st January, 2006 bringing the standard rate to €145.58. This represents an increase of almost 155% in the standard rate of capitation grant at primary level 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 further significant increases. The grant that was increased for secondary schools from €131 per pupil to €145 per pupil in January, 2005, 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.

These significant increases in the funding of primary and post primary schools are a clear demonstration of my commitment to prioritise available resources to address the needs of schools.