Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 242: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the way in which the average running costs paid per pupil in the vocational educational committee, community and comprehensive schools and secondary voluntary schools compare over each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3262/07]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 244: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the capitation payment payable for all students in vocational secondary schools; the number of additional funding streams to which schools can apply on top of the basic capitation rate; the mechanism through which community and comprehensive schools are funded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3264/07]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 245: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the capitation payment payable for all students in voluntary secondary schools; the number of additional funding streams to which schools can apply on top of the basic capitation rate; the method through which all capitation payments are calculated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3265/07]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 246: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the capitation payment payable for all students in community and comprehensive secondary schools; the number of additional funding streams to which schools can apply on top of the basic capitation rate; the mechanism through which community and comprehensive schools are funded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3266/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 242 and 244 to 246, inclusive, together.

The funding arrangements made by my Department for second level schools reflect the different management and ownership arrangements for Vocational Schools and Community Colleges, Comprehensive & Community Schools and Voluntary Secondary Schools. At the core of funding arrangements at second level is reliance upon capitation as the principal determinant of funding. Voluntary secondary schools are funded on a per capita grant basis. Financial allocations for Vocational schools and Community colleges are made to the VECs as part of a block grant, which also covers the VEC head-office overheads and other activities apart from the second-level programme. Community & Comprehensive schools are funded on a budget basis. Schools have considerable discretion as to how this funding is best utilised in the interests of their pupils. There have been significant improvements in the level of funding for voluntary secondary schools. With effect from January 2007, the standard per capita grant was increased by €18 per pupil and now amounts to €316 per pupil. An additional per capita grant of €38.09 per pupil is paid to disadvantaged schools bringing the total per capita grant in the case of such schools to €354.09. In addition, equalisation funding grants of up to €44.44 per pupil, subject to a cap of €15,554 per secondary school, introduced in 2001 and also additional to the per capita grants of some €70 per pupil, subject to a cap of €24,442 per school, introduced in 1992, are provided to voluntary secondary schools. Secondary schools have also benefited, under the school services support fund initiative, from further significant increases in the support services grant. Under the terms of recent equalisation measures, the support grant has been significantly enhanced and now stands at €189 per pupil from 1 January 2007. Since 2002, the standard per capita and support service grant has been increased for voluntary secondary schools as set out in the attached tables. Budget allocations for the VEC and Community & Comprehensive sectors are increased on a pro rata basis with increases in the per capita grant. All schools are eligible for recurrent per capita grants towards special classes and curricular support grants.