Written answers

Thursday, 6 July 2017

Department of Education and Skills

Capitation Grants

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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54. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the detail of his Department’s work in seeking to increase the capitation grant per pupil in budget 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31562/17]

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Action Plan for Education outlines hundreds of actions to be implemented over the 3 year period 2016 to 2019 which include restoring capitation funding as resources permit.

Budget 2017 represents the start of a major programme of reinvestment in education, and the first phase of implementation of the Action Plan for Education, aimed at becoming the best education system in Europe within a decade. Budget 2018 will be the next opportunity to build on the progress made in 2017.

The process is under way for restoring grant funding that is used by schools to fund the salaries of ancillary staff. The ancillary grant was increased by €6 in 2016 and €5 in 2017 in order to enable primary schools implement the arbitration salary increase for grant funded school secretaries and caretakers and to also implement the restoration of salary for cleaners arising from the unwinding of FEMPI legislation. A similar type approach in relation to improvements in grant funding was applied, as appropriate, at post-primary level.

In relation to capitation funding this commitment remains a priority for me to address during the lifetime of the Action Plan. Work is underway in relation to the annual budgetary process; the outcome of this process is announced on Budget day.

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