Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 11 Oct 2000

Vol. 523 No. 5

Written Answers. - Expenditure on Education.

Dick Spring

Question:

82 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will provide information on the annual expenditure on primary education and the percentage of GNP which this represents; the comparable figures for each other EU state; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21474/00]

Seán Ryan

Question:

90 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Science the annual expenditure on post-primary education and the percentage of GNP which this represents; the comparable fig ures for each other EU state; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21475/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods):

I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 90 together.

Gross expenditure by my Department on primary education for 2000 is estimated to be £1,064 million which is 1.56% of GNP. Gross expenditure for the post-primary sector is £1,270 million which is 1.86% of GNP.

The OECD has published the most recent international comparisons available to my Department. The data relate to the 1997 year but are based on comparisons with gross domestic product rather than GNP. Furthermore, the OECD data are based on the expenditure from public and private sources for educational institutions and are aggregated on the basis of primary-lower secondary and upper secondary-further education levels rather than primary and secondary.

A tabular statement of the resulting comparison for EU member states is being circulated in the Official Report. In summary the comparative data indicate that Ireland's expenditure on primary and lower secondary education represented 2.6% of GDP compared to an EU average of 2.3%. Expenditure by country ranged from 3.2% to 2%. In relation to expenditure on upper secondary and further education, Ireland's expenditure represented 0.9% compared to an EU average of 1.4%. Expenditure by country ranged from 2% to 0.9%.

Since 1997 the funding allocated to primary and second level schools has been increased substantially in accordance with the Government's commitment to giving education a clear priority in the allocation of resources as set out in the policy document An Action Programme for the Millennium.

The standard capitation grants which is the main source of funding towards the running costs of primary schools, has been increased from £45 in 1997 to £71 in the current school year. This represents an increase of almost 58% over that period.

At second level, the standardper capita grant was increased from £177 to £184 last year and has been further increased by £8 from September this year to £192. Assistance towards the provision of secretarial services in schools has been increased from £25 per pupil to £30 per pupil thereby increasing the maximum annual grant from £8,750 to £10,500 per eligible school. In addition, schools have also benefited from the IT 2000 initiative and the library books grant.

I also recently announced the introduction of a school services support fund at second level from September of this year. This is a major funding initiative under which schools will receive a grant of £20 per pupil in respect of support services with a minimum payment of £4,000 per school. This fund will channel an additional £7 million to schools each year. I regard this initiative as a significant advance in the funding of our schools. It is my intention to improve further the financial position of schools to the extent that the availability of resources permits.

Educational Expenditure from Public and Private Sources for Educational Institutions as a percentage of GDP by Level of Education (1997)

	Primaryand	UpperSecondary
Country	LowerSecondary	andFurtherEducation	Both
Austria	2.7%	1.5%	4.2%
Belgium	Not Avail.	Not Avail.	3.6%
Denmark	2.8%	1.5%	4.3%
Finland	2.6%	1.2%	3.8%
France	2.8%	1.5%	4.3%
Germany	2.2%	1.6%	3.8%
Greece	Not Avail.	Not Avail.	3.7%
Ireland	2.6%	0.9%	3.5%
	Primaryand	UpperSecondary
Country	LowerSecondary	andFurtherEducation	Both
Italy	2.0%	1.3%	3.3%
Luxembourg	Missing	Missing	Missing
Netherlands	2.3%	0.8%	3.1%
Portugal	Not Avail.	Not Avail.	4.4%
Spain	2.0%	2.0%	4.0%
Sweden	3.2%	1.5%	4.7%
UnitedKingdom	Missing	Missing	Missing

Note: The data was not provided in respect of Luxembourg and the United Kingdom and was not disaggregated by level for Belgium, Greece and Portugal.