Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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495. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current capitation grant rates at primary level (mainstream, special school, and special class top-ups); the aggregate annual outturn for capitation since 2019; her assessment of the adequacy of the €224 standard rate against schools' non-pay running costs; the full-year cost of increasing the standard rate by €75 per pupil in 2026 (including pro-rata adjustments for special settings); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51880/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The estimated cost of increasing the primary school capitation grant by €75 per pupil from €224 to €299 for the period 1 September to 31 December would be an additional 13.4 million. The estimated additional cost of maintaining such an increase for a full year, from 1 January to 31 December 2027 would be a further 26.6 million.

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 has resulted in the standard rates increasing from €200 to €224 for primary schools and from €345 to €386 per student in post-primary schools with effect 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 €224 per pupil in primary schools and €386 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.

The current primary capitation rates are contained in Circular 0040/2025 which is published on my Department’s website at Revision of Capitation Grant Rates for Recognised Primary Schools in the 2025/26 school year, www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/circulars/revision-of-capitation-grant-rates-for-recognised-primary-schools-in-the-202526-school-year/

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 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 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 www.fssu.ie.

The annual primary capitation expenditure from 2019 to 2024 is included in the table below. It should be noted that the 2025 capitation expenditure is not readily available as expenditure in respect of 2025 has not been finalised to date.

Primary Expenditure