Vol. 403 No. 4
16 Mr. Pattison asked the Minister for Education the steps she intends to take in relation to capitation and tuition fees of pupils at second level so that the figure adequately reflects the money required to provide facilities for students, maintain school buildings and provide teachers' salaries and if she will make a statement on the matter.
254 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education if she has any plans to increase the capitation allowance for primary and secondary level schools in her forthcoming Estimates.
294 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Education if she intends increasing the financial allocation for the running of post-primary schools in 1991.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 254 and 294 together.
The per capita grant to secondary schools was increased from £140 to £150 per pupil in 1990 and for primary schools from £26.50 to £28.
The question of the funding of schools for certain specific purposes is also under consideration in the context of negotiations between the social partners on a new programme for economic and social development.
My Department are at present having a study undertaken by outside consultants on unit costs at primary and post-primary levels. The findings of this study will enable my Department to consider in depth the appropriate level of funding necessary for the day-to-day running of schools.
I should point out that, apart from a school salary of £400 per teacher in secondary schools, the salaries of teachers are paid in full by my Department.
In addition to those grants, other grants have been apportioned to second level — last year, this year and next year — £1 million provided for the junior certificate; there are technology grants of £5,000 per school, totalling £300,000; there is a capital grant for science equipment, the vocational preparation and training grant of £125 per pupil in secondary schools which amounts to £330,000, and the vocational schools get a grant for equipment in addition to the normal non-pay allocation. In relation to the new leaving certificate, there is about £2 million for equipment, construction engineering and technical engineering; there are grants for choirs, orchestras, psychological testing, and teaching through Irish and there are various other grants.
Question No. 18.
A Cheann Comhairle——
A brief question Deputy. I want to make progress on other questions.
Would the Minister agree with the ASTI figure that if the capitation grant and tuition fee per pupil were to stay in line with inflation, £200 would be paid instead of the present £150, and that against a background of no increase for the last four years?
I have read the ASTI survey. We have a survey under way at present. The increase we gave was greater than that granted in any of the four years the Deputy's party were in office. One could never have enough money for education. It is as simple as that. Every penny is well spent. We are doing our best in difficult circumstances. The matter will be addressed, and is currently being addressed, in the talks. We are doing a unit cost study because we want to see how best to spend the money available in various areas of second level education.
