Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 573: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the breakdown of the cost of each of the education commitments outlined under the renewed programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36723/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will appreciate that while some costs in the renewed programme for Government can be identified with a degree of certainty the costs of other elements will depend on their precise implementation. The specific education measures include a commitment to no further increase in the pupil teacher ratio for the lifetime of the Government, 500 teaching posts over the next three years, funding for 28 additional psychologist posts, standard capitation grants to schools being maintained and an extra allocation being made available to schools for needs such as book rental schemes and curricular activities.

The commitment to maintain the standard capitation grants to schools will not give rise to additional costs except insofar as it relates to increases in the school going population, the costing of which would form part of the annual estimates and budgetary process. While the precise costs of the additional teaching posts cannot be determined until the actual appointments are made it is anticipated that every teacher appointed will give rise to an initial annual pay cost of some €46,000 on appointment rising to an average of €64,000 over time. We plan to start allocating the first tranche of 200 posts early in the new year, with a further 150 posts to be allocated in September 2010, with the remainder in September 2011. Assuming 200 extra teachers from the beginning of next year and a further 150 teachers next September the extra pay costs next year will be in the order of €11 million and the ongoing full year pay cost when all 500 teachers are employed at average salary will be in the order of €32 million.

The funding of the additional 28 psychological posts is expected to give rise to an additional full year cost of some €2.3 million. The exact level of additional funding for schools for the consolidated grants will be considered in the context of the estimates and budgetary process. The revised programme also provides for other measures which have the potential to give rise to additional costs for the education sector. These include for example delivery of 100 MBs Broadband for all second level schools by 2012 and roll out of new digital access devices for teachers and students. In addition it provides for the development of a costed multi-annual plan to implement some priority aspects of the EPSEN Act focussing on measurable, practical progress in education and health services for children with special needs. However it is not possible to give an exact costing at this early stage until the implementation arrangements are worked out.

The funding for the commitments in the renewed programme for Government will be considered in the overall context of the funding available to Government for next year. We have started the process of preparing budgets for 2010 and all the commitments in the programme for Government will be considered in that context. At this stage I obviously cannot say what the final position will be until the issues are discussed by Cabinet.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 574: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he has identified savings within his Department which will finance the new commitments outlined in the renewed programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36724/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Ensuring we get value for money for the taxpayer is obviously a priority for me. We are continuing to work to find savings where possible. We are looking at new ways of carrying out functions. For example, work is ongoing on increasing the use of shared services and shared procurement arrangements. This is also an issue I will be examining closely in considering the Higher Education Strategy Group report and the future structure and role of the Vocational Education Committees. It is not easy to find savings when so much of my Budget goes on pay. It is obviously incumbent on all of us that given the financial situation we deploy staff and other resources in the most effective way across the education sector. We have started the process of preparing budgets for 2010 and all the commitments in the Programme for Government will be considered in that context.