Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 389: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position with regard to funding for a school (details supplied) in County Sligo. [14547/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The school referred to by the Deputy is a recognised primary school and attracts funding in the same way as all recognised primary schools.

The Deputy will be aware that schools' running costs are met by my Department's scheme of capitation grants. These grants have been increased substantially in recent years.

The Education Budget for 2009 has provided for improvements to the overall level of day to day funding for primary schools which will see funding increase from €167 million in 2008 to almost €190 million in 2009.

The primary school capitation grant has increased from €81.26 per pupil in 2000 to its current rate of €200, which was an increase of €21 on last year. This represents an increase of 146% in the standard rate of capitation grant since 2000. The ancillary grant has increased from €151.50 per pupil to €155 per pupil.

Taken together, these 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, with a primary school of 200 pupils, similar in size to the school referred to by the Deputy, getting €5,000 more. In 2000, a primary school with 200 pupils was in receipt of less than €27,000 to meet its day to day running costs. That same school under these new rates will receive €71,000. This excludes the salary of teachers and Special Needs Assistants which are paid by my Department.

Furthermore enhanced rates of capitation funding are paid in respect of children with special educational needs who attend special schools or special classes attached to mainstream schools. The current rates range from €512 to €986 per pupil - an increase of 59% from the rate in 2006.

By any standards there have been very significant improvements within a relatively short period of time and the Government is committed to further increasing funding for schools as resources permit. While increasing resources is important, we must also focus on measures to enhance the quality of education in our schools to ensure that increased resources lead to the best possible outcomes for our children.

We are committed to investing in education but we have to invest at a level that is consistent with what we can afford and what is sustainable at the moment given economic circumstances. 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.