Vol. 560 No. 1
527 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will consider increasing the schools' capitation grant to a sufficient level to preclude the necessity for virtually every school in Ireland to seek a pseudo-voluntary subscription from parents of between ?50 and ?300, to assist in meeting the schools' running costs. [2086/03]
Significant improvements in the levels of direct funding to schools have been made in recent years. The standard rate of capitation grant for primary schools was substantially increased from €57.14 per pupil in 1997 to €105 per pupil in 2001-02 and €111.58 in respect of the 2002-03 school year.
Significant improvements have been made in the level of funding to second level schools. The standard per capita grant of €224.74 that applied in 1997, was increased to €256.49 in September 2001 and was further increased to €266.49 in September 2002. An additional per capita grant of €38.09 is paid to disadvantaged schools bringing the total per capita grant in the case of such schools to over €300. In addition, under the school services support initiative, second level schools have benefited from further significant increases in the support grant from €25.40 per pupil in 2000 to €88.88 from September 2002 and to €99 per pupil from 1 January 2003.
