Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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179. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount that has been lost to schools, through cuts in the capitation grant; if she will provide an annual breakdown, since the start of these cuts, and a size-category breakdown; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7482/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The last Budget included an increase in spending on education for the first time in recent years, amounting to additional funding of €60m during 2015. That increase has provided funding for 1,700 additional teachers and SNAs to be recruited for our schools, as well as funding important reforms. However, it was not possible to secure the funding which would be required to also increase the rates of capitation paid to our schools.

The school funding measures introduced in Budget 2011 provided for a 5% reduction in funding for capitation and related grants to primary and second level schools. This was applied to schools by a 5% reduction across the range of per capita grants.

The multi annual school funding measures introduced in Budget 2012, provided for a 6% overall reduction in the funding for capitation and related grants to primary and second level schools. The reduction was introduced on a phased basis and applied by a 2% reduction in 2012 and 2013 and a further reduction of 1% in 2014 and 2015.

In total these measures have resulted in primary school per capita funding being reduced by €38 per pupil since 2011 and post primary per capita funding being reduced by €66 per pupil since 2011.

I am determined that education will be prioritised for further investment in future years, and I believe that increasing the staffing and funding of our schools should be priorities for such investment.

The attached table contains a breakdown of the annual per capita grants rates as requested by the Deputy.