Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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30. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the capitation grant will be restored; if his attention has been drawn to the persistent funding challenges facing schools across County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4820/18]

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

Budget 2018 marks the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continue to implement the Action Plan for Education, which has the central aim to make the Irish Education and Training service the best in Europe within a decade. In 2018, the budget for the Department of Education will increase by €554 million to over €10 billion.

Capitation funding remains a priority for me to address as part of the Action Plan.

The process is underway for restoring grant funding that is used by schools to fund the salaries of ancillary staff. Circular 0079/2017 outlines the current rate increases in order to enable schools to 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.