Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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828. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if additional supports will be provided to special schools to assist with the day-to-day running costs, similar to supports provided in Budget 2024 and Budget 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59342/25]

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. 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, increasing 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. Over the last three Budgets this has resulted in an increase in the level of capitation rates of 49.7% (€91) paid to primary schools and 28.5% (€90) paid to post-primary schools. This will also allow for an increase of €20 in capitation rates for Urban Band One DEIS primary schools, increasing the mainstream pupil rate in these schools to €294.

The increased capitation rates will also see special schools now receive the same rates of capitation for young people aged 12 and over, as their peers in mainstream post-primary schools.

Enhanced rates of capitation currently apply to all students in special schools. However, for the majority of students in special schools, there was no increase in this enhanced rate when students reached the age of 12. This has now been addressed in Budget 2026 to reflect the difference which applies to their mainstream peers. This adjustment reflects the higher costs associated with education provision for older students and ensures funding on a fair and equitable basis across educational settings for all students.

Each special school, with a student(s) enrolled aged 12 or over, will benefit from this increase and up to 139 special schools are expected to benefit from this measure.

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. Enhanced rates are 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, in accordance with Circular 0060/2013 . Schools Procurement Unit (SPU), funded by the Department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on procurement matters – www.spu.ie.

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 - www.fssu.ie.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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829. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of changing the criteria of the capitation grant for special schools to consider all school staff or the square meter area of the school premises; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59343/25]

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. 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, increasing 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. Over the last three Budgets this has resulted in an increase in the level of capitation rates of 49.7% (€91) paid to primary schools and 28.5% (€90) paid to post-primary schools. This will also allow for an increase of €20 in capitation rates for Urban Band One DEIS primary schools, increasing the mainstream pupil rate in these schools to €294.

The increased capitation rates will also see special schools now receive the same rates of capitation for young people aged 12 and over, as their peers in mainstream post-primary schools.

Enhanced rates of capitation currently apply to all students in special schools. However, for the majority of students in special schools, there was no increase in this enhanced rate when students reached the age of 12. This has now been addressed in Budget 2026 to reflect the difference which applies to their mainstream peers. This adjustment reflects the higher costs associated with education provision for older students and ensures funding on a fair and equitable basis across educational settings for all students.

Each special school, with a student(s) enrolled aged 12 or over, will benefit from this increase and up to 139 special schools are expected to benefit from this measure.

There are no other plans at this time to make any further changes to the criteria applicable to special 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 €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. Enhanced rates are 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, in accordance with Circular 0060/2013 . Schools Procurement Unit (SPU), funded by the Department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on procurement matters – www.spu.ie.

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 - www.fssu.ie.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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830. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to consider providing all special schools with an additional AP1 post; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59344/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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This government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.

In 2026, over €3 billion will be spent supporting children with special educational needs. It will ensure that specialist capacity continues to grow by providing 3,000 specialist places. The majority of these places will be available in special classes within mainstream schools. It will increase our special educational posts by 860 special education teacher and over 1,700 special needs assistant (SNA) posts. This will mean we will have over 46,500 professionals dedicated to supporting students with special educational needs in our schools. This is one of the highest annual increases in posts to date and is a firm reminder of this government’s commitment to supporting students with special educational needs.

Budget 2026 has also afforded a number of new initiatives such as funding for the roll out of the Education Therapy Service (ETS), the introduction of extra special education teaching hours for post-primary schools to support coordination and transition efforts and indeed a special school package to support the unique challenges these schools face.

My department actively engages with the representative bodies for special schools, in order to help to address some of these additional challenges these schools face over their mainstream counterparts.

Following close engagement with special schools, and awareness of the challenges facing special schools a number of new measures have been introduced to support special schools.

In 2024 all special schools supported by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) where afforded the appointment of new posts for administrative deputy principals. This has been instrumental in assisting principals with leadership and management functions and to support learning and parental and community engagement.

My department continue to closely monitor special schools to ensure that they are fully supported in educating students with the most complex of needs. It will continue to review policy and introduce new initiatives to ensure that all students are provided an appropriate education and are supported to reach their full potential and achieve their educational goals.