Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

523. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the rates for the capitation grant and the ancillary service grant were last increased. [48331/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department is committed to providing 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 grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. Schools have the flexibility to use capitation funding provided for general running costs and ancillary funding provided for caretaking and secretarial services as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities.

In addition to these grants, €20 million in funding will be delivered during the mid-term break, to support all recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. This funding is the first tranche of an overall additional €60 million funding announced as part of Budget 2024 measures designed to assist schools with increased day-to-day running costs such as heating and electricity. A further €40 million in funding will be delivered in 2024.

I understand the need for increased capitation funding and I am pleased that I have been able to provide for significant increases in capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools in Budget 2024 which includes also a permanent restoration of capitation funding as well as an increase for cost of living pressures.

This year’s Budget will provide targeted funding for school communities with an increase in capitation of over €81 million.

The current standard rate of Capitation grant is €183 per pupil at Primary level and at post primary the standard rate is €316 per student for voluntary secondary schools. The standard capitation rates are different for Community and Comprehensive schools as well as those in the ETB sector as these schools are funded via non-pay budget grants from the Department.

As part of the capitation package in Budget 2024 I am pleased to have secured €21 million as a permanent increase in capitation funding to assist schools now and longer term with increased day-to-day running costs. This will support a permanent restoration of funding for all primary and post-primary schools from September 2024. This will bring the basic rate of capitation grant to the pre-2011 level of €200 per student in primary schools and to €345 in voluntary secondary schools. Enhanced rates will also be paid in respect of pupils with Special Educational Needs. This represents an increase of circa 9.2% of current standard and enhanced capitation rates.

Schools also receive an Ancillary Services Grant. The standard rate is €173 per pupil in Primary schools and €224.50 per student in Post-Primary schools.

Primary schools with less than 60 pupils are paid the Capitation and the Ancillary grants on the basis of having 60 pupils. At post-primary level, schools with less than 200 students receive ancillary related grants on the basis of having 200 students.

Following the acceptance by Forsa of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) agreement in respect of salaries and various leave entitlements for grant funded school secretaries, those secretaries that accepted the terms of this agreement have been placed on a payroll operated by this Department. Therefore, as schools will no longer be responsible for paying the salaries of these secretaries it is necessary to revise the ancillary grant funding. The priority to date has been to ensure secretaries could be set up on a Department payroll on the correct point on pay scale from September 2023. This represented a very significant body of work given the numbers involved.

Schools have received 2/3rds of the Ancillary Grant payable in 2023 and the Department is working to ensure the arrangements for the payment of remaining ancillary grant funding to schools are finalised so that funds due to schools can be paid as soon as possible.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

524. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of capital funding her Department provided to a school (details supplied) in the years of 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [48332/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Through Project Ireland 2040, we are investing at least €5 billion over the period 2021 to 2025, to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for almost one million students and over 100,000 staff that learn and work in our schools every day.

The School referred to by the Deputy received capital investment of over €68,000 in 2021.

My Department has a proven track record of delivery. The key drivers of capital investment in the schools sector are as follows:

•demographic change, including keeping pace with delivery of SEN and accommodation for Ukrainian pupils particularly at Post Primary level,

•alignment with housing provision and national planning at school planning area level,

•climate action objectives including deep energy retrofit.

Key priorities for my Department are supporting the operation of the school system and adding necessary capacity to cater for special education needs provision, mainstream demographics and catering for students from Ukraine and other countries under the International Protection system.