Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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181. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if funding will be allocated to enable a school (details supplied) for children with a diagnosis of autism in Kilbarrack hire new cleaners and maintenance staff. [41504/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides funding to all recognised primary schools by way of per capita grants including to the school referred to by the Deputy.

The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance, general up-keep etc and the Ancillary Services grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff.

Enhanced rates of the Capitation grant are paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs who attend special schools or special classes attached to mainstream schools.  The Ancillary Services grant payment is based on pupil enrolments in mainstream schools. However, payments to Special Schools are based on the number of authorised full-time teaching staff approved by the Department so as to compensate for lower enrolment numbers.

Schools are permitted to regard the Capitation and Ancillary grants as a combined grant. Boards of Management have autonomy on how they use and prioritise this funding to meet their day to day running costs including for the provision of secretarial, caretaker and cleaning services.

The following are links to the most recent circulars published on my Department’s website in relation to capitation related grants:

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