Vol. 487 No. 3
300 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will be in a position to bridge the gap between second level and primary level capitation grants; if he will achieve this target in the near future; when he expects to have achieved the objective; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3841/98]
The Government's commitment to giving primary education a clear priority in the allocation of resources is set out in the policy document An Action Programme for the Millennium. This commitment is clearly reflected in the 1998 Estimates, where I have provided for an overall increase of 9 per cent in expenditure on primary education for 1998.
In this context provision has been made for a £5 increase in the capitation grant for primary schools. At 11 per cent, this increase represents a start in the process of increasing capitation at primary level. However, it is important to note that the difference in grant level reflects the fact that maintenance costs for second level schools are greater on a unit cost basis than in primary schools.
I can assure the Deputy that the issue of further increases in the capitation grant to primary schools will continue to receive priority over the coming years.
