Written answers

Thursday, 2 March 2023

Department of Education and Skills

Business Supports

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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246. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide a list of supports for businesses and enterprise under her Department; the funding breakdown for same, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10776/23]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The funding allocated to my Department, as set down in the annual Estimates, is used to meet costs associated with the provision of educational services in our schools and various related functions. The allocation is used primarily to fund the salaries of teaching and non-teaching school staff, the development of school infrastructure, capitation funding for the ongoing running costs of schools, the payment of pensions to retired school staff, the costs associated with the school transport scheme and the general administration costs of my Department.

Funding is also provided to enable the Department to make grant payments to Education and Training Boards to meet costs associated with the provision of certain educational services and to the various agencies and bodies that come under the aegis of my Department. Funding is also allocated for a range of programmes and initiatives.

The annual Appropriation Account and Revised Estimates for Public Services for my Department's Vote provides detailed information regarding expenditure and receipts.  

In the course of its work, my Department makes a significant number of payments every year. Such payments are made to individuals and organisations both by way of grants and also for the provision of goods and services to it. Some of the recipients of this funding may be businesses although my Department’s funding programmes are not generally directly aimed at enterprises. However, as such labels are not necessarily assigned to payees on the Financial Management System and, as my Department would be reliant on the relevant information being correctly notified by the individuals and organisations concerned, it is not possible to provide an accurate and complete list of total expenditure to businesses. In those circumstances, it would not be possible without utilising very significant staff resources to search for, identify and retrieve the information sought. If the Deputy wishes to obtain further information regarding specific businesses or supports, I will arrange for this information to be provided.

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