Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 473: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will increase funding for second level education to the average OECD levels in the forthcoming Estimates. [36348/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The most recent OECD 'Education At A Glance' report provides figures for 2003/04 which are out of date and fail to reflect the major increases in second level funding in recent years.

Spending by my Department on second level education increased by 17% between 2003 and 2005. In 2005, €2.7 billion was spent on second-level education — up from €2.3 billion in 2003 and €1.25 billion in 1997.

These increases have allowed for major progress to be made both in the staffing and in the day-to-day funding of our schools.

In relation to funding, the standard capitation rate has increased from €266 per pupil in 2003 to €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.

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