Vol. 568 No. 1
344 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that schools are obliged to pay bin charges which have been consistently increased every year; and the efforts he has made to make schools exempt from paying the charges in view of the difficulties schools are experiencing in accessing funds. [15489/03]
Primary schools' running costs are met by my Department's scheme of capitation grants and the local contribution. These grants are intended to contribute towards the general operating costs of national schools, which include heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance, painting, teaching aids and other miscellaneous charges. The capitation grant has been increased substantially in recent years. The standard rate of capitation grant has increased from €57.14, £45, in 1997 to €111.58 in 2003. This represents an increase of 95% in the capitation grant over that period.
Local authority service and other charges payable to the various local authorities do not come within the remit of my Department. It would be a matter for the local authorities to decide whether schools are liable to pay such charges. Where it is decided that schools are liable for such charges, the cost would form part of the normal running costs of schools and would fall to be met from the capitation funding which schools have received from my Department. It would not be feasible for my Department to introduce specific schemes whereby grant assistance would be provided to schools in respect of individual charges such as those for water or refuse.
