Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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268. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the rationale for the policy of capping the grant for ancillary service staff for primary schools, that is, caretakers, cleaners and so on, at 500 students; the way in which this impacts on primary schools with significantly larger student populations; the number of primary schools that have a population of more than 500 students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21140/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides capitation funding to all recognised primary schools.

In 2018, the capitation grant is €170 per pupil and the ancillary services grant is €163 per pupil.

The amount of the grant paid to an individual primary schools for capitation and ancillary services is determined by the school’s enrolment. The minimum grants payable are based on an enrolment of 60 pupils. In the case of the ancillary services grant the maximum amount payable is €81,500 which is based on a maximum enrolment of 500 pupils. There is no maximum limit on the capitation grant.

Within the context of limitations on available resources, this funding of €81,500 is considered a reasonable amount to cater for the secretarial and caretaking needs of a large school.

The Deputy may wish to note that schools have the flexibility to use capitation funding provided for general running costs and ancillary funding provided for caretaking and secretarial services as a common grant as outlined in Circular 40/2009.

There are 135 primary schools that have an enrolment in excess of 500 students.