Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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378. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the main scheme non-pay allocation to Dublin and Dún Laoghaire education board which has been capped at 2012 levels; if he is aware that student numbers have increased by 3,000 since this point; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24365/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The context for certain budget measures in recent years was the need to reduce Government expenditure so that the country's finances could be stabilised and brought back to affordable levels.

The improvements in the economy have now started to result in some improvements in the funding levels for the ETB sector.

Some additional once-off funding was targeted in 2015 at those ETBs, including Dublin and Dun Laoghaire ETB (DDLETB), that had significant increases in their enrolment since 2012.

The overall 2016 non-pay funding is broadly the same as was allocated in 2015. In distributing this funding to ETBs, the Department takes account of changes in student numbers.

In relation to Dublin and Dun Laoghaire ETB (DDLETB), my Department has recently carried out a review of the non-pay allocation for ETBs and has revised the DDLETB's expenditure cap to above the 2012 level. The ETB has been informed of the revised limit, which takes into account its increased enrolment levels. While this revised expenditure limit helps the ETB to manage it does not result in an increase in the actual allocation from my Department.

It is important for all ETBs, including DDLETB, to ensure that costs are controlled and managed as best as possible within available funding levels.