Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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540. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department intends to provide administrative support to schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54421/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Funding to cater for secretarial services is made available by my Department under two separate schemes. One is the 1978/79 scheme under which school secretaries are paid directly through the payroll operated by my Department. This scheme is being phased out as posts become vacant and no new posts are being created.

The second is the capitation grant scheme towards the funding of ancillary services in schools. Within the grant programme, the level and extent of services provided is a matter for the school authorities who, through the discretion afforded by the scheme, apply their own arrangements for secretarial services as resources permit.

The amount paid to an individual school is determined by the school’s enrolment.

Further information is available in the relevant circulars on my Departments website at the links below.

Primary capitation grant circular 0038/2020 gov.ie - Revision of Capitation Grant Rates for recognised Primary Schools in 2020 (www.gov.ie).

Primary ancillary services Circular 0017/2021 gov.ie - Revision of Grant Rates in 2021 for Boards of Management of Recognised Primary Schools or by ETBs in Community National Schools using Ancillary Services Grant funding (www.gov.ie).

Voluntary Secondary schools capitation grant 0052/2020 gov.ie - Revision of Capitation Grant Rates for Voluntary Secondary Schools in the Free Education Scheme (www.gov.ie).

In addition, my Department also provides funding to Education and Training Boards (ETBs) for secretarial staff in schools as well as their Head Office that provides administrative support to schools.