Vol. 424 No. 2
50 Mr. D'Arcy asked the Minister for Education if, in the light of the growing burden on parents to subvent the ever increasing share of running and maintenance costs of primary schools, he is prepared to increase substantially the £28 capitation grant for primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
71 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Education if, in the light of the growing burden on parents to subvent the ever increasing share of running and maintenance costs of primary schools, he is prepared to increase substantially the £28 capitation grant for primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
74 Mr. Crowley asked the Minister for Education if, in the light of the growing burden on parents to subvent the ever increasing share of running and maintenance costs of primary schools, he is prepared to increase substantially the £28 capitation grant for primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
88 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education if, in the light of the growing burden on parents to subvent the ever-increasing share of running and maintenance costs of primary schools, he is prepared to increase substantially the £28 capitation grant for primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 50, 71, 74 and 88 together.
As the Deputies are aware, the day-to-day running costs of primary schools are discharged by making funds available by means of the capitation grant scheme and the contribution from local sources. The capitation grant is not intended to meet the operating costs in full. A location contribution towards school running costs equivalent to 25 per cent of the capitation grant must be lodged annually to each school bank account.
I will be considering the existing rates of capitation grants to schools in the light of the results of the unit cost study which is being undertaken by my Department. For the future, the Green Paper envisages a standard budget system based on the costs per student. As essential part of the preparation for this system is the study on recurrent costs already referred to above.
