As the Deputy will be aware, differing funding arrangements have historically applied to the three sectors at second level. At the core of all arrangements is a reliance upon capitation as the principle determinant of funding. There are, however, significant differences in the approaches to the funding of back-up services, such as for secretaries and caretakers. The Government and its predecessor have removed some of the anomalies and the process continues.
The standard per capita grant for voluntary secondary schools has been significantly increased in recent years and now amounts to €274 per pupil as against the rate of €224.74 that applied in 1997. For disadvantaged schools, the increase has brought the per capita grant to €312 per pupil.
These significant increases build on my commitment towards enhanced equalisation funding measures for voluntary secondary schools. In addition to the per capita grant of €25 that was introduced under the school services support initiative for second level schools in September 2000 and now stands at €99, secondary schools have benefited from further increases bringing the grant for such schools to €131 per pupil from January last. This per capita grant is in addition to a range of equalisation grants of up to some €15,500 per school per annum that were also approved for voluntary secondary schools. For a secondary school with 500 pupils, this amounts to additional equalisation funding of almost €30,000 per annum and overall additional support services funding of approximately €80,000 per annum.
Schools are afforded considerable flexibility in the use of these resources to cater for the needs of their pupils. As the funding provided under the schools support services fund is flexible, schools are permitted discretion as to the manner in which support services are provided. In particular, it allows schools with difficulties in provision for secretaries and caretakers the additional funding to make a meaningful impact.
A measure of the increase in overall funding for secondary schools is that by comparison with 1997, a secondary school with 500 pupils now receives extra annual funding of over €105,000 per annum. I am committed to improving further the funding position of voluntary secondary schools in light of available resources and to addressing the issue of equity highlighted by the voluntary school sector.
