Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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159. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 66 of 24 April 2024, what steps she will take to speed up the late payment of the ancillary services grant and ICT digital strategy grant to schools that are out of pocket due to having bought such equipment, her response merely set out the details of the grants, and did not provide a date or commitment to speed up the payment, which was the question asked; the steps she will take to speed up the payment; and when she anticipates the payment being made. [19845/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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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. Two such 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.

Correspondence issued to all schools on 26th April detailing the calculation of ancillary grant funding for 2024. Ancillary grant funding was paid to all schools on 29th April 2024.

Additionally I recently announced €50 million in grant funding for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) , which has now issued to all recognised primary, special Schools and post-primary schools. This ICT funding is being provided to schools to help them continue to use digital technologies in their teaching, learning and assessment and which represents the second tranche of ICT funding under the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027.

The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 was published last year and is underpinned by an investment of €200m to support its implementation, 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.

The specific timing for issue of the ICT 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.

As part of the forthcoming Review of the National Development Plan, my Department’s aim is to provide better clarity and certainty for schools on the timelines for payment of minor works and ICT grant funding.