Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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336. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has made a decision on the allocation of ICT grants to schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29770/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015 to 2020 overall investment of €210m issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in annual grant funding. This funding was to support schools to invest in appropriate digital infrastructure to embed the use of digital technology in teaching, learning and assessment.

The new Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 was published last year and is underpinned by an investment of €200m to support schools over the period committed to under Ireland’s National Development Plan (NDP). The first tranche of €50m issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in late 2021.

It is hoped to issue the next tranche of funding in the 2023-2024 school year. As with all such funding, the issuing of the grant is subject to the availability of Exchequer funding and the wider capital needs of the Department including the building programme to ensure the supply of school accommodation.

It is anticipated that the funding committed to under the NDP will be available to support the implementation of the Digital Strategy to Schools in future years.

As with funding under the previous strategy, the funding under the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 issues directly to schools as they are best placed to identify the requirements of their own student cohort and to meet those requirements in the most appropriate way in accordance with their digital learning plan.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides funding to recognised Primary and Post-Primary schools in the free education scheme 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.

It is difficult to make precise comparisons between the levels of grants paid and the actual costs of running schools at primary and post-primary level.

In general, post-primary schools are larger than primary schools. They have specialist rooms such as laboratories, workshops etc. This leads to higher unit costs for heat, light, power, maintenance and cleaning.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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338. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department can provide any form of funding, one-off or reoccurring, to an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29779/23]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following.

My Department provides grant funding to state-recognised schools to ensure that all children, including children with special educational needs have access to an appropriate education. These resources are generally not allocated to bodies other than recognised schools.

My Department understands that the organisation referred to by the Deputy provides social and therapeutic supports to children and vulnerable adults. The provision of such supports is normally under the remit of the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government. It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

For 2023, the spend by my Department on special education will be substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my Department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education.

This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the Department’s total allocation for 2023.

This includes funding to support children with special educational needs in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs) and funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).

In 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 SNAs in our schools next year.

For the first time ever we will have over 19,000 teachers working in the area of special education and over 20,000 SNAs. Together we have almost 40,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.