Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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192. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the staffing levels and the grants paid to the schools in County Tipperary from 2011 to 2015; the changes in grants and funding she anticipates for the school year 2015-2016; the projections for the schools in the 2015-2016 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32699/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website. The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains extensive data relating to schools, including teacher numbers. The most recent published information relates to the 2014/2015 school year.

The final staffing position for all schools for the 2015/16 school year will ultimately not be known until later in the Autumn when the allocation and redeployment process has fully completed and all appeals to the final meeting of the Primary Staffing Appeals Board will have been considered.

My Department provides capitation funding to all recognised primary schools and second level schools within the free education scheme.

My Department provides capitation funding to mainstream primary schools by way of per capita grants, subject to a minimum grant equivalent to 60 pupils. Enhanced rates are payable to Special Schools and Special Classes attached to mainstream schools.

The funding arrangements made by my Department for second level schools reflect the sectoral division of our second-level system. At the core of all arrangements is reliance upon capitation as the principal determinant of funding.

My Department provides funding to Community and Comprehensive schools on a budget basis that is based mainly on pupil numbers, but also take into account additional factors which vary from school to school such as age of buildings, size of school etc.

With regard to the ETB sector financial allocations are made to ETBs as part of a block grant. ETBs are given a high level of autonomy in the management and appropriation of this grant and each is allowed to distribute its allocations in line with its priorities and perceptions of need.

My Department provides funding to voluntary secondary schools by way of per capita grants.

DEIS capitation is paid based on a school's relative level of disadvantage against all other schools.

Fee charging schools do not receive any capitation or related grants from my Department.

Information on the funding allocated to schools in County Tipperary, as requested by the Deputy, is not readily available. My officials are currently compiling this information and it will be forwarded to the Deputy in due course.