Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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687.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if it is intended to move the ICT grant to a more structured, reliable model, that is not subject to the availability of Exchequer funding and the wider capital needs of her Department given the integral role digital technologies now play in education and given the need for schools to have the ability to plan ahead in order to maintain and progress ICT infrastructure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32038/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 was published last year and is underpinned by an investment of €200m to support schools over the period of the strategy with this funding committed to under Ireland’s National Development Plan (NDP). My Department’s aim is to provide better clarity and certainty for schools on the timelines for payment of the ICT grant funding as part of the ongoing delivery of the NDP, including periodic reviews, through collaboration and discussion with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP and Reform.

To date under the Digital Strategy for schools, a total investment of €310 million has issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in ICT grant funding. This funding enabled schools to invest in appropriate digital infrastructure to enable the embedding of the use of digital technology in teaching, learning and assessment.

Additionally, a further funding of €50m secured as part of Ireland's National Recovery and Resilience Plan under the NextGenerationEU Recovery and Resilience Facility issued to all recognised schools in the free education scheme to support learners at risk of educational disadvantage through the digital divide in late 2021.

The Department also operates the Schools Broadband Programme at an annual cost in excess of €13m, providing high speed broadband to recognised schools, and a dedicated schools broadband helpdesk. This service includes content filtering and firewall security to schools on the network.

Funding alone is only a small part of the Digital Strategy and what is incorporated in the stated vision of the Digital Strategy for Schools is an education system that supports the development of competent, critically engaged and active learners. It is vital that all learners regardless of socioeconomic circumstances or geographical location are given the opportunity to develop their digital competence and literacy.

Digital technologies are now an everyday feature of both children and young people’s lives. It is important to support children and young people throughout their education to enable them to maximise the benefits of their education journey, to equip them for their future careers and to protect them from the potential risks they may be exposed to.

The Digital strategy, will continue to support schools in planning for and embedding digital technologies throughout their teaching, learning and assessment. Extensive support for schools to develop digital learning plans is provided through the Digital Learning Framework, alongside a suite of teacher professional learning, delivered through the Department funded teacher support service, Oíde Technology in Education.

The overarching objectives under the strategy are already in progress with various programmes, initiatives and pilots underway, as well as continuous professional support for schools leaders and teachers.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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688.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will consider instating a calendar for funding for schools, that would ensure grants and other resources are available on set dates in order to assist schools in budget planning; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32039/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Education is committed to providing schools at both primary and post-primary level with as much detail regarding grants, grant amounts and expected payment timeframes for each academic year as far in advance as is practicable.

For the 2024/25 academic year, officials in the Department are currently considering the presentation of schedules for grants that should include, as applicable across primary and post-primary, Standardised Testing, Capitation, Digital Strategy ICT, Deontas Breise Gaeilge, Free School Books, School Services Support Fund, Programme grants and DEIS grants.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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689.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the ancillary grant will be reviewed in collaboration with schools to ensure the funding provided adequately covers the costs it is intended to; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32040/24]

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. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general up-keep, 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, except for cases where a secretary is now paid from my Department’s payroll as per circular 36/2022.

The current standard rate of Capitation grant is €183 per pupil in primary schools. Primary schools with fewer than 60 pupils are paid the Capitation and the Ancillary grants on the basis of having 60 pupils.

In addition to these grants, €20 million in funding was issued in October 2023, to support all recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme. This funding was 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 was delivered in early 2024.

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 pupil in primary schools. Enhanced rates will also be paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils. This represents an increase of circa 9.2% of current standard and the relevant enhanced capitation rates.

I am aware that costs and funding can pose a very real problem for schools, and the Department of Education is constantly working to address this matter, and to enhance the financial and other supports available to schools.

Any possible further measures on school funding will form part of Budget 2025 negotiations. While not wishing to pre-empt the outcomes of any future Budget negotiations or fiscal parameters agreed by Government, the Department of Education will continue to seek and prioritise the additional funding required to meet the ongoing costs of running schools as part of the annual Estimates process.

As the Deputy may be aware, following the acceptance by Fórsa of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) agreement in respect of salaries and various leave entitlements for grant-funded school secretaries, those secretaries who accepted the terms of this agreement were placed on a payroll operated by my Department from September 2023. Therefore, ancillary related grant funding has been revised to reflect the fact that schools are no longer paying these salaries directly.

The arrangements for the 2023/24 school year are based on reducing grants by the value of the salary schools paid to grant-funded secretaries prior to their acceptance of the new terms and conditions. Schools provided my Department with these details and this information is now being used to reduce the ancillary related grant funding.

Correspondence issued to all schools on 20th December 2023 providing details of these arrangements for the period September to December 2023. Further correspondence issued on 26th April 2024 setting out the position for the period January to August 2024.

In the 2023/24 school year, schools have been paid the usual ancillary grant amount, minus the amount that schools previously paid to grant-funded secretaries prior to their acceptance of the new terms and conditions. Schools are in no way disadvantaged by this, as the grant is reduced only by the amount they previously paid to their secretaries.

Schools have been advised that work is ongoing to identify a method of standardising the reduction to the Ancillary and SSSF Grants for the longer term, where school secretaries are being paid via a payroll operated by my Department. Engagement will take place with school management bodies in order to discuss these arrangements to ensure that they are as reasonable and as fair as possible for all schools and further details of these arrangements will be provided to schools as soon as they become available.

The Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU), funded by my Department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on financial matters, including budgeting and cashflow management. Contact details for FSSU can be found on www.fssu.ie.