Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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126. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of increasing capitation rates for primary schools to the rate for post-primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12173/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The capitation grant at primary level is €170 per pupil. The capitation grant at post-primary level is €296 per pupil.

The cost of increasing the capitation grant from €170 to €296 per pupil in primary schools would be circa. €72 million per annum.

It is important to note that it is difficult to make precise comparisons between the levels of grants paid and the actual costs of running schools at primary and post primary levels. However it is self-evident that the maintenance and running costs for second level schools are much greater on a unit cost basis than those in primary schools.

In general, second level schools are larger than primary schools and have a lower pupil teacher ratio resulting in more classrooms and specialist rooms such as laboratories, workshops and kitchens. This leads to higher unit costs in second level schools for heat, light, power, maintenance and cleaning.