Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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94. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the fact that school grants were cut by 15% in the recession and that fundraising initiatives have to be taken on by schools to cover basic needs; if funding will be increased in budget 2018 to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42474/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I recognise the need to improve capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years.

The Action Plan for Education aimed at making the Irish education and training service the best in Europe by 2026 outlines hundreds of actions to be implemented over the 3 year period 2016 to 2019 which include restoring capitation funding as resources permit.

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.

Capitation funding remains a priority for me to address during the lifetime of the Action Plan as resources permit.