Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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159. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to increase capitation grants to meet the actual costs of running primary schools in budget 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28938/18]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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161. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the overall capitation grant available for schools of over 60 mainstream pupils in 2017, 2018 and 2019; his plans for full or part restoration of capitation grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28940/18]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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162. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the overall capitation grant available for schools of under 60 mainstream pupils in 2017, 2018 and 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28941/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 159, 161 and 162 together.

I recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years.

Restoring capitation funding as resources permit is one of the actions included in the Action Plan for Education and I remain committed to achieving this. However, I must be prudent in the context of ongoing budgetary pressures and prioritise where it is not possible to do everything that I would like to do in the education sector in any one year. In that regard it is critical that any additional resources that are available in the education sector are utilised in such a way as to maximise teaching and learning outcomes.

The Deputy will be aware that Budget 2018 marked 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 increased by €554 million to over €10 billion. Through budget 2017 and Budget 2018, we are now investing €1 billion more in education.

Improvements have been made for the restoration of grant funding that is used by schools to fund the salaries of ancillary staff. The ancillary grant was increased by €6 in 2016, €5 in 2017 and €5 in 2018, in order to enable primary 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.

The level of funding provided to all schools and the drivers of costs at school level are kept under review by my Department.

The following tables summarise the value of capitation related grants that would be payable to recognised Primary schools (non-DEIS) of various sizes in 2017 and 2018. The commitments in the Action Plan including to increase capitation funding, will be considered in the context of the budgetary process.

2017

2018