Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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183. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the calculation method used for determining the auxiliary service grant payable to schools takes into account factors which may result in individual schools incurring additional costs and overheads such as those associated with the presence of special classrooms and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8217/18]

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

The two main grants for primary 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 fulltime teaching staff approved by the Department so as to compensate for lower enrolment numbers.

At second-level, a Special Class Grant of €191 per pupil is paid in respect of pupils who have been psychologically assessed as having a mild or moderate general learning disability and participating in NCSE approved special classes.

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

www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0078_2017.pdf.

www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0028_2016.pdf.

www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0029_2016.pdf.