Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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92. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of issues impacting a school (details supplied) regarding the minority works grant; if she has any plans to increase funding for the grant and to improve the grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36321/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to increasing funding to support schools, and the Programme for Government commits to increasing capitation funding to schools of all types to ensure that schools can meet the elevated day-to-day running costs.

The commitment in the Programme for Government builds on the progress which has been made in recent years, including an over €30 million permanent increase in capitation funding to assist schools now and longer term with increased day-to-day running costs through Budget 2025. This represents an increase of circa 12% on current standard rates and enhanced rates. This will result in the standard rates increasing from €200 to €224 for primary schools and increase from €345 to €386 per student in post-primary schools from September 2025. Over the last two Budgets there has been a circa 22% increase in the level of capitation grant rates paid to schools.

The 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 the employment of relevant secretaries as per Circular 0036/2022.

The current standard rate of capitation grant is €200 per pupil in primary schools and €345 per student in post-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, €45 million in cost-of-living supports issued in November 2024 to support all recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. This additional funding announced in Budget 2025 is designed to assist schools with increased day-to-day running costs such as heating and electricity. This funding was paid at a rate of €36 per pupil in primary schools and €55 per student in post-primary schools. Enhanced rates were also paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils.

Schools should also ensure that they are availing of the available OGP procurement frameworks and getting best value for money for all school expenditure.

The Department of Education is aware that costs and funding can pose a problem for schools, and is constantly working to address this matter, and to enhance the financial and other supports available to schools. 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 funding required to meet the ongoing costs of running schools.

My department recognises the importance of the Minor Works Grant to primary schools. The Minor Works Grant is provided to all primary and special schools; to enable them to undertake small-scale minor maintenance and improvement works on a devolved basis.

In recent years, my department’s approach has been to pay the Minor Works Grant to schools in advance of the start of the following school year, in order to facilitate a better lead in period for schools to plan any maintenance or minor works during the summer period.

Since 2020, €310 million in Minor Works Grants and Enhanced Minor Works Grants have been allocated to schools. This includes the payment of Minor Works Grants totalling almost €30 million for the school year 2025/2026, which issued in June.

Schools have the autonomy to use this funding for maintenance and small-scale improvements to school buildings and grounds. Given that each school setting is different, individual schools are best placed, to decide how best to use this funding to address their particular needs.

The school referred to by the Deputy has received €69,249.75 in Minor Works funding since 2020. This includes €8,922.50 Minor Works funding, which issued in June of this year, for the school year 2025/2026

The Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU), funded by the 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.