Written answers
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Department of Education and Skills
Education and Training Boards
Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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588. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on funding to Education and Training Boards; and if she will make a statement on recruitment and teaching hours. [1166/25]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are funded by my Department via a range of pay and non-pay budget allocations in respect of their schools and head offices. These includes funding for the pay of certain ETB staff (including head office and school staff), funding for the day-to-day running of schools, specific grants (e.g. schoolbooks scheme, transition year programme), targeted expenditure (e.g. DEIS capitation), funding for capital projects and also ETB head office running costs.
A financial allocation is made to each ETB to fund its schools and head office, and the grant is based on the overall student numbers across the ETB and its non-pay head office running costs. ETBs are given a high level of autonomy in the management and appropriation of this grant, and each is allowed to distribute in line with its own priorities and identification of need. Funding for ETB primary schools is also provided in line with the funding arrangements applicable to all primary schools.
The arrangements in relation to the allocation of teaching and other school staff in all schools are also set down in various circulars issued by my Department. In relation to head office staff, my Department provides each ETB with an administrative staffing allocation to support its head office corporate functions.
It is the responsibility of each ETB to recruit and manage staffing levels within the relevant staffing allocation sanctioned and in accordance with relevant recruitment requirements, circulars and relevant employment legislation.
It should be noted that ETBs also receive funding from sources other than my Department, for example through self-financing programmes or from other Departments and agencies, most notably for further education and training which is funded by SOLAS.
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