asked the Minister for Education if he will ensure that grants for primary and second-level schools will be automatically increased to keep pace with inflation.
28.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Capitation Grants.
27.
Mr. Kitt
asked the Minister for Education if he will pay the increased capitation and tuition grants for the school year just ending; and if he will grant annual increases in these grants related to the Consumer Price Index.
29.
asked the Minister for Education if he will pay the increased capitation grants and grants in lieu of fees to secondary schools before the end of the academic year 1974-75.
30.
andMr. Timmons asked the Minister for Education if it is his intention to provide for an automatic annual review of all school capitation grants.
Mr. R. Burke
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 28, 29 and 30 together. I have already announced that the increased rates of capitation and tuition grants will come into effect from the beginning of the school year 1975-76.
The rates of grants payable in respect of primary and second-level schools are reviewed annually in the context of the preparation of the estimates for the relevant votes of my Department.
Is the Minister stating quite clearly that the schools concerned have no hope of getting this increase for the school year just ending?
Mr. R. Burke
Yes.
None whatsoever?
Mr. R. Burke
As I announced when making the increases recently it is not the intention that they should come into effect until October of this year.
Is the Minister satisfied that the financial position of all these schools warrants the postponement of this increase until next year?
Mr. R. Burke
The Deputy will appreciate that it was the financial difficulties in the school which led me to ask the Government to give the increased rate. I am afraid it will not come into effect before October.
Live horse and you will get grass.
Has the Minister received letters from individual managers and managerial bodies asking him to pay this money in this academic year?
Mr. R. Burke
Yes.
I am not asking him to anticipate by very much because he is bound to be back before the end of the week, but would he not consider the case anew in the light of whatever message the Minister for Finance brings back from the Trucial States?
Mr. R. Burke
Whatever the Minister for Finance brings back from the Trucial States or any other States the scheme of increased grants will not, I am afraid, come into effect before October of this year as I have already announced.
They are all up to their beards in debt.
When the figures were being decided upon, was the fact that they would not be paid until October borne in mind and was the grant made in accordance with what would be considered appropriate in October?
Mr. R. Burke
Yes. The question of payment in October was in mind. The increase which is regarded by many as reasonably substantial in the circumstances was arrived at in the light of those circumstances.
When the figure was decided upon, was there any element in respect of the anticipated devaluation of the £?
Mr. R. Burke
I take it the Deputy is referring to the general devaluation of the £. Yes. The devaluation, as the Deputy puts it, or the sliding value of money would have been taken into account.
Can we take it that the capitation grant will be reviewed annually?
Mr. R. Burke
As I said in my reply, this is the proper context in which reviews of this nature should be carried out. Requests which have been conveyed to me in the letters referred to by Deputy Wilson suggesting a method of indexation are not really feasible. The proper method of doing this is that the Minister of the day should, in the preparation of the Estimates for his Department, have regard to all the factors in question and, in the light of the prevailing economic circumstances, provide as generous an amount of money as is possible to both primary and secondary schools.
Mr. Kitt
Why was not some financial help given to the primary schools at the start of the school year?
Mr. R. Burke
The new scheme for capitation grants for primary schools came into operation on 1st January, 1975. Portion of the increased grant was paid and the further portion, it is hoped, will be paid in October.
Mr. Kitt
What are they to do in the meantime? These schools have had to borrow money at high interest rates and they are in serious financial difficulties.
Mr. R. Burke
The amount of the grant made available at the beginning of January was approximately equal to the total annual amount available before that.
The remaining Questions will appear on the Order Paper for Tuesday next. As announced this morning, the Sitting is now being suspended.
Sitting suspended at 3.35 p.m. and resumed at 4.30 p.m.