Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 September 2008
1766 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason his Department has failed to increase the grants provided to schools for information technology equipment since 2000, leaving them at €6,348.69; and his views on whether the grants should be raised to at least €8,200 to keep pace with inflation and that even this sum is insufficient to meet schools’ IT needs. [30956/08]
View answerMy Department is aware of the cost pressures involved in setting up new schools. However, any improvements in the start-up funding can only be considered in the context of the overall economic and budgetary position and the competing priorities for available resources. In order to alleviate some of the pressures on new schools my Department facilitates them with early payment of capitation and ancillary grants.
