Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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539. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the additional expenditure her Department will need to incur in 2015 and 2016 to deal with demographic pressures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40437/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The increase in my Department's 2015 current expenditure allocation detailed in Budget 2015 provided in large part for additional numbers of mainstream teachers, resource teachers, special needs assistants and capitation payments for schools. These additional costs amount to approximately €88 million. In the region of three-quarters of these costs are accounted for by increased numbers of pupils at first and second level. The precise impact of demographic factors in respect of 2016 expenditure is difficult to project at this stage and will depend partly on actual 2014 and 2015 pupil and teacher number outturns. However, it is considered that demographic factors could give rise to increased expenditure in 2016 of up to the same level as 2015.

My Department's capital allocation for 2015 stands at €530m of which almost €470m is in respect of the school sector including PPPs. The focus under the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme 2012-2016 in the education sector is on the provision of sufficient school places to meet demographic demand and my Department will continue to meet this challenge in 2015 and 2016 through Large Scale Project delivery and the Additional Accommodation Scheme.