Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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496. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason her Department has cut the PPE funding for term 2 by 40% for a school (details supplied); her views on whether that it is unfair to penalise schools that did not use the procurement process to purchase PPE the details which were not released until the end of August 2020 yet this school had to procure before 26 June 2020 for four weeks for July Provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1359/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Government published the Roadmap for the Full Return to School, along with details of a financial package of over €375 million to support the implementation of the measures in the roadmap, following approval by Government.

The range of supports being made available to all schools in the free education scheme include additional financial supports to provide for PPE and hand hygiene costs under the COVID-19 response plans.

Schools, including the school referred to by the Deputy, are paid the PPE grant by my Department based on pupil enrolment and the per capita rates which are provided in the table below. 

The first instalment of the PPE grant, which issued in August 2020, reflected the fact that the first term is 15% longer than the second there were a number of once off type costs which schools faced at that time. Therefore the rates for the second instalment of the PPE grant, which issued on 6 January last, have been revised accordingly.

My Department will be reviewing the funding provided and following this review details of the third and final instalment of these grants for the 2020/2021 school year will be made available in due course.

PPE grant rates for mainstream schools