Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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1193. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total funding allocated to Traveller/Roma/Refugee capitation supports in primary and post-primary schools respectively, in tabular form. [43034/25]

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. Enhanced rates are also paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils.

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.

Current rates of Capitation funding for Traveller students are outlined in for primary schools and in for post-primary schools.

The below table details the total expenditure in 2024 for Traveller capitation funding.

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.

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 .

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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1195. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated total savings in 2026 from the phased roll-out of the private school subsidy, assuming it will be rolled-out over a five-year period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43036/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Gross expenditure incurred by my Department last year on fee-charging schools was €144.8m. This includes salaries for teachers and special needs assistants of €142.9m for the 2023/24 school year and capital supports (building-related and ICT grants) of €1.9m in 2024. The allocation of teachers in fee-charging schools is outlined in Circular 0006/2025: Staffing Arrangements in Voluntary Secondary Schools for the 2025/2026 school year. The allocation ratio applicable to fee-charging schools is currently 23:1, which means that the Department pays the salaries of one teacher for every 23 pupils in these schools compared with one teacher for every 19 pupils in schools in the free education scheme.

If the parents of children in the fee-charging sector chose to send their children to the schools in the free education system, the State would have to fund those school places at an increased cost. However, it is unknown how many pupils would transfer to the free education system if State funding for fee-charging schools was abolished. In addition, given that the Pupil Teacher Ratio is 19:1 for free scheme schools and 23:1 in fee charging schools, the figures above do not take into account the additional cost associated with the greater number of teachers that would need to be employed if the pupils in fee charging schools were instead enrolled in schools in the free scheme. Therefore, my Department is not in a position to provide further information on the matter of a 'phased roll-out', as any attempt to estimate potential savings would be speculative.