Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1285: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will increase funding for second level schools to at least the OECD average levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28898/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 1320: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has received correspondence from a person (details supplied) in Dublin 8; if she expects to respond favourably to a request to increase funding for second level schools to at least the average of OECD levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29098/06]

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 1326: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if second level schools here will be resourced in the forthcoming estimates to at least the average OECD levels; and if she will support the ASTI on this matter. [29105/06]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 1395: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her proposals to bring funding of second level schools in line with our European counterparts (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29738/06]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 1406: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that Ireland is 29th out of 30 OECD countries in terms of per capita expenditure on second level education; the action she will take to increase the spending on second level education in Budget 2007; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29807/06]

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 1409: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans to ensure that primary and second level schools here will be funded to at least the average OECD levels in the context of the recent OECD report on funding for education. [29923/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1285, 1320, 1326, 1395, 1406 and 1409 together.

The OECD Report examined changes in expenditure since the mid-1990s. It shows that expenditure on education in Ireland has increased substantially between 1995 and 2003 at all levels, even when allowing for inflation. I am pleased to say that investment in education has also increased substantially since 2003, the financial year indicated in the OECD Report referred to by Deputies.

According to data provided by my Department, per pupil expenditure in Ireland at primary level has increased by 16% from €4,567 in 2003 to €5,300 in 2005 (and by 96%, from €2,706 in 1997). At second level per pupil expenditure has increased by 11% from €6,605 in 2003 to €7,347 in 2005.

With regard to staffing, major improvements have been made at both levels in recent years. There are 4000 more teachers in our primary schools now than there were in 2002. The average class size in our primary schools is 24 and there is now one teacher for 17 pupils at primary level- including resource teachers etc. The mainstream staffing schedule for primary schools was improved this year and the Government has committed to hiring extra teachers to improve primary school staffing even further in the 2007/08 school year. At second-level there is now one teacher for 13 students.

Indeed, with the thousands of extra teachers hired by this Government, recent years have seen the largest expansion in teacher numbers since the expansion of free education.

Day to day funding for our schools has also increased significantly in recent years. Since the financial year referred to in the OECD report — 2003 — second-level schools have benefited from substantial increases in funding. The standard capitation grant of €266 per pupil in 2003 now stands at €298 per pupil from 1 January last. In addition, the support services grant for secondary schools has been increased from €127 per pupil in 2003 to €159 per pupil from January last. This per capita grant is in addition to a range of equalisation grants of up to some €15,500 per school per annum that were also approved for voluntary secondary schools.

Similarly at primary level, schools have benefited from substantial increases in funding since 2003. The standard capitation grant has increased from €111.58 per pupil in 2003 to €145.58 from 1st January, 2006 while the Ancillary Services grant has been increased from €127 in 2003 to €139 in 2006.

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