Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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104. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to increase the capitation grant for primary schools considering the increased costs to schools of Covid-19 safety measures; and the increase in the cost of providing light and heat. [45589/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides funding to Primary and Post-Primary schools by way of per capita grants. The two main grants 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/School Services Support Fund (SSSF) to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. Schools also receive a range of other grants including Book Grants, Programme grants etc.

I understand the need for improved capitation funding and I am pleased that budget 2020 has been able to provide for a further 2.5% increase in standard capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools that applied from the start of the 2020/21 school year. This builds on the 5% increase in capitation announced in budget 2019.

The combined increases given in 2019 and 2020 mean that circa 40% restoration has been achieved.

All schools have received the benefit of the capitation increases awarded to date. It is my intention to seek funding for further capitation increases in future budgets. However I must be prudent in the context of ongoing budgetary pressures giving the current economic circumstances.

In addition, under the COVID-19 response plans, a range of supports are being made available to all recognised schools in the free education scheme. To date more than €158 million of additional capitation funding has been made available to primary and post primary schools to provide for Cleaning, PPE and hand hygiene, Enhanced Supervision and employment of an Aide for the school year 2020/21.

My Department has committed to ensuring that the full range of measures necessary to allow schools operate safely in the Covid-19 environment will continue to be available for the 2021/22 school year and is providing a further €57.6 million of additional capitation funding for Term 1 of the 2021/22 school year.