Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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30. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills an bhfuil sé i gceist ag a Roinn go n-íocfar an deontas múineadh trí Ghaeilge agus múineadh go dátheangach de €103 in aghaidh an dalta agus de €84 in aghaidh an dalta le scoileanna chuimsitheacha, le pobal scoileanna agus le scoileanna a thagann faoi na Boird Oideachais agus Traenála chomh maith leis na scoileanna deonacha; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [19836/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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The funding arrangements made by the Department for voluntary secondary, comprehensive & community and ETB schools and colleges reflect the different management and ownership arrangements that apply to schools at second level.

Voluntary secondary schools, in the Free Education scheme, which are privately owned and managed, are funded by way of per capita grants.  An additional per capita grant is paid to schools in the voluntary secondary sector in which instruction is through the medium of Irish in full or in part. However, this is not the method of funding that applies to the Community and Comprehensive or the ETB sectors. In the case of the Community and Comprehensive Sector the Department provides funding on a budget basis that is based mainly on pupil numbers, but also takes into account additional factors which vary from school to school such as condition of buildings, size of school etc.

The ETB allocations are made on a budget basis in respect of head office and other costs, including those relating to schools. ETBs are given a high level of autonomy in the management and appropriation of their budgets and each ETB is allowed to distribute its allocations in line with its priorities and perceptions of need. Any funding issues for an individual school have to be managed from within the relevant ETB’s budget.  The Department does not earmark funding allocations for individual schools in the ETB sector.

However, the Deputy is aware of the further improvements announced in the 2019 Budget which will see increased capitation funding for the school sector for the 2019/20 school year and in the non-pay budgets in the ETB sector.

TRANSLATED ANSWER:

Sna socruithe cistiúcháin atá déanta ag an Roinn le haghaidh meánscoileanna deonacha, scoileanna cuimsitheacha agus pobail agus le haghaidh scoileanna agus coláistí na mBord Oideachais agus Oiliúna (BOO) léirítear na socruithe éagsúla bainistíochta agus úinéireachta a bhaineann le scoileanna an dara leibhéil.

Maoinítear meánscoileanna deonacha i scéim an tSaoroideachais, atá faoi úinéireacht agus bhainistíocht phríobháideach, trí dheontais per capita.  Íoctar deontas per capita breise le scoileanna in earnáil na meánscoileanna deonacha ina múintear trí Ghaeilge go hiomlán nó i bpáirt. Ní hé seo an modh maoinithe áfach, a bhaineann le hearnálacha na scoileanna Pobail agus Cuimsitheacha ná le scoileanna na mBord Oideachais agus Oiliúna. I gcás na hEarnála Pobail agus Cuimsithí cuireann an Roinn maoiniú ar fáil ar bhonn buiséid atá bunaithe go príomha ar líon na scoláirí. Lena chois sin glactar san áireamh fachtóirí breise a athraíonn ó scoil go chéile, fachtóirí ar nós bail na bhfoirgneamh, méid na scoile srl.

Déantar leithdháiltí ar na BOO ar bhonn buiséid i ndáil le costais ardoifige agus costais eile lena n-áirítear iad siúd a bhaineann le scoileanna. Tugtar a lán neamhspleáchas do Bhoird Oideachais agus Oiliúna maidir le bainistiú agus leithreasú a gcuid buiséad agus tá cead ag gach BOO a chuid leithdháiltí a dháileadh amach de réir na dtosaíochtaí atá aige agus de réir a chuid riachtanas. Ní mór saincheisteanna maidir le maoiniú i dtaobh scoile ar leith a bhainistiú ó bhuiséad an Bhoid Oideachais agus Oiliúna lena mbaineann.  Ní chuireann an Roinn leithdháiltí maoinithe ar leataobh do scoileanna aonair in earnáil na mBord Oideachais agus Oiliúna.

Tuigeann an Teachtaire Dála áfach go bhfuil tuilleadh feabhsuithe fógartha i mBuiséad 2019 sa mhéid go gcuirfear maoiniú caipitlíocha méadaithe ar fáil don earnáil scoile i gcomhair na scoilbhliana 2019/20 agus sna buiséid neamh-íoc san in earnáil na mBord Oideachais agus Oiliúna.