Arising from the Programme for Economic and Social Progress (PESP), a scheme was introduced in 1992 whereby my Department provides additional capitation grants for primary schools towards the cost of clerical and caretaking services.
Under the PESP scheme, schools receive grants of £30 per pupil (£15 per pupil in respect of each service), to a maximum of £15,000 per annum, which are paid as additions to the standard per capita grant. The scheme, by its nature, is flexible and gives boards of management full discretion as to the level and extent of the services to which the grants are to be applied.
Since its introduction in 1992, the scheme has been expanded in line with undertakings given in the PESP. The priority has been to extend the scheme in the first instance to schools which have no clerical or caretaking provision already rather than increase the per capita grant rate of £30 per pupil. In this regard the scheme has been extended to include more schools by reducing the qualifying enrolment threshold to its current figure of 195 pupils, with an ultimate target of providing grant-aid to all primary schools with 100 pupils or more.
Scoil Chroí Ró Naofa and Scoil Cnoc Mhuire Senior are currently in receipt of £5,070 and £3,885 respectively per annum towards clerical services, which is the maximum amount available to the schools under the current terms of the scheme. I wish to assure the Deputy that I remain committed to improvements in the provision of additional assistance to schools for these services and the position of these schools will be examined in the context of any improvements to the scheme which may be implemented in the future.
