Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 594: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the budget for second level vocational schools and for community and comprehensive colleges; and the amount of this spent on non-teaching running costs of the schools, itemising the key elements in the costs. [35743/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The funding arrangements made by my Department for second level vocational schools and for community and comprehensive schools reflect the different management and ownership arrangements that apply to schools at second level.

Financial allocations for Vocational schools and Community Colleges are made to the VECs as part of a block grant that in addition to specific provision for teacher, administrative and maintenance staffing pay costs also covers VEC overheads and other activities other than the 2nd level programme. Capitation represents a core determinant of funding and financial allocations reflect

adjustment for variation in enrolments, based on the number of students attending as at 30th September each year, and increases in general second level per capita grants. Excluding pay, the total non-pay provision made available in the estimates for VECs for 2006 is some €51.3 million. The Department does not earmark funding and staffing allocations for individual schools or for the various activities of VECs. The way in which such allocations are distributed among schools is a matter for each committee in line with their priorities and perceptions of need. As VECs are given a high level of autonomy in the management and appropriation of their budgets, the extent of information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department and would involve an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile.

The budget arrangements for Comprehensive & Community schools are based mainly on pupil numbers, but also take into account additional factors which vary from school to school such as disadvantaged status, age of buildings, size of school etc. Each school is given, in addition to grants towards secretarial and maintenance assistance, a budget towards general operating costs. The non-pay provision made available in the estimates for Comprehensive & Community schools is some €23 million for 2006. While schools have considerable discretion as to how this funding is best utilised in the interests of pupils, the main operating costs include heat, lighting, maintenance and repairs of buildings, school materials and equipment. As in the case of VECs, school budget adjustments from year to year reflect variation in enrolments and increases in general second level per capita grants.

Major improvements have been made in both the funding and the staffing of our second level schools in recent years and I will continue to prioritise this area.