Richard Bruton
Question:382 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the additional cost, if any, of providing secretarial and caretaking services to all schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17842/97]
Written Answers. - School Staffing.
The current position is that all voluntary secondary schools in the free education scheme with 200 pupils or more and all primary schools with 195 pupils or more receive financial assistance, in the form of capitation grants, towards the cost of both caretaking and clerical services. The cost in 1997 of this assistance will amount to £4.8 million in the secondary sector and £4.9 million in the primary area. In addition the 1978 scheme for the provision of clerical assistance to certain secondary and primary schools will cost £2.9 million for secondary schools and £3.3 million for primary schools this year.
The additional cost of extending the scheme of capitation grants to provide secretarial and caretaking services to all schools in the secondary sector would amount to £0.2 million while the additional cost in the case of all primary schools would amount to £6.06 million.
In line with the commitments given in the PESP, all national schools of 100 pupils or over will eventually be grant assisted towards the cost of providing clerical and caretaking services.