Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 490: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that funding available to a school (details supplied) in Dublin 12 is not sufficient to allow for the employment of a caretaker; and if he will make additional funding available. [46049/08]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 491: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that due to funding constraints a school (denials supplied) in Dublin 12 has only a part-time secretary; and if he will make additional funding available. [46050/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 490 and 491 together.

In general the arrangements for supporting secretarial and caretaking services in schools mirror those for providing support funding to the schools concerned. Primary and secondary schools are funded through capitation grants and likewise secretarial and caretaking services are funded by grants that are related to the number of pupils in the school. The Ancillary Services grant scheme provides funding for primary schools towards the cost of secretarial and caretaking services. The scheme is flexible by nature, giving Boards of Management discretion as to the manner in which secretarial and caretaking services are provided.

In relation to day to day funding for schools I prioritised funding for primary schools in the recent budget, increasing the standard rate of capitation grant at primary level to €200 per pupil. The budget improvements involve an increase of more than €21 to bring the rate to €200 per pupil and the ancillary services grant for primary schools will also be improved by €3.50 to €155 per pupil.

Taken together, the budget increases mean that primary schools eligible for the full ancillary services grant will get €355 per pupil — or almost €25 extra — in this school year to cover their day to day running costs. In 2009, a school of similar size to the school in question (just over 120 pupils) will receive an ancillary services grant of almost €19,000. In addition such a school will receive at least €24,000 in respect of capitation payments. This excludes the salary of teachers and Special Needs Assistants which are paid by my Department.

I clearly will want to improve funding as soon as circumstances permit and I am confident that as the global economy improves it will be possible to build again on the significant achievements of recent years and do so in a manner consistent with overall prudent management of the Irish economy.