Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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274. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding funding for schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26968/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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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.

The standard rate of capitation grant is paid to all primary schools except Gaelscoileanna located outside of Gaeltacht areas which receive an additional €23 per pupil over and above the standard rate grant.

The Government has just launched the first Action Plan for Education aimed at making the Irish education and training service the best in Europe by 2026. This plan, which incorporates my Department's Strategy Statement as well as the Action Plan of Education outlines hundreds of actions to be implemented across 2016-2019. One of the actions as part of the plan is to strengthen the focus on reducing school costs for parents by restoring capitation funding over a three-year period as resources permit. This may also provide opportunities for addressing any equalisation issues in relation to capitation funding.