My Department provides funding to secondary schools on the basis of per capita grants with additional grants towards ancillary services such as caretaking and secretarial. Responsibility for the operation of community employment schemes in schools lies with FÁS. In line with a PPF commitment to mainstream certain services provided under CE, I recently secured the transfer of £46 million, 58,407,951, per annum to my Department on a phased basis between now and 2003, as the FÁS school-based CE schemes come to an end. The availability of this funding has enabled me to make significant progress in relation to the provision of secretarial and caretaking services to schools by putting in place an equitable system of funding for ancillary services throughout the free education school system. My Department will receive a total of £32 million, 40,631,618, in this school year.
Proposals for the distribution of the moneys received this year at primary and post-primary levels have now been finalised. In the case of secondary schools, the extra funding will be allocated to schools under the schools services support fund, which I introduced last year. With immediate effect, schools will receive an increase in the annual support grant from £20, 25.40, per pupil to £50, 63.49, per pupil, with a further increase to £70, 88.88, per pupil next September and to £78, 99.04, per pupil in January 2003. While provision for support services, including secretarial and caretaking, is a particular focus of this fund, schools have discretion, in line with that available in relation to per capita grants, as to how this additional funding is best utilised in the interests of their pupils.