Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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493. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of additional schools that will receive the extra €20 capitation grant because they are classed as DEIS urban band 1; and the amount of such funding. [55287/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Budget documentation published sets out funding for key measures and actions agreed for the coming year. As the Deputy may be aware, in line with standard practice, the final allocation of funding for my Department for 2026 will be set out in the 2026 Revised Estimates Volume (REV) which is due to be published later this year. Further details on the 2026 allocations for my Department will be available after the 2026 REV process is complete.

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.

As part of the capitation package in Budget 2026, I am pleased that a total of €39m was secured for a permanent increase in mainstream capitation grant funding for schools, bringing the mainstream rate of capitation to €274 per pupil in primary schools and to €406 in post-primary schools for the 2026/2027 school year. This will also allow for an increase in capitation rates for Urban Band One DEIS primary schools, of €20, increasing the mainstream pupil rate in these Urban Band One DEIS schools to €294 from September 2026.

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.

Tackling educational disadvantage is a key priority for the Minister for Education and Youth. The new DEIS plan will be published this year and will include a DEIS plus scheme. The plan will set out the Department of Education and Youth’s strategic vision, goals, and objectives to tackle educational disadvantage in all schools. The plan will focus on improving disadvantage in all schools, developing more innovative approaches to tackle educational disadvantage and working towards a more flexible system of support to ensure that schools can receive the right support at the right time. Schools will not be required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme. The process will be evidence-informed using available data.

Currently, the DEIS programme supports almost 1,200 primary and post-primary schools reaching approximately 260,000 students, with an annual investment of over investment of over €180 million. Budget 2026 allocates an additional €16 million in 2026, rising to €48 million in 2027 to introduce the DEIS plus scheme and support the implementation of the new DEIS plan.

The DEIS plus scheme will provide additional supports to schools with the highest level of need, in line with Government’s commitment. It will provide targeted support to a small group of schools with the highest concentration of students experiencing intergenerational disadvantage. Details of the new DEIS plan are currently being developed in collaboration with an Advisory group and will be announced at the end of this year. The allocation of funding will be determined as part of the new DEIS plan.