Martin Ferris
Question:214 Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding available for after school support services, involving child care and help with homework (details supplied). [31643/12]
View answerTuesday, 3 July 2012
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Written answers
All recognised national schools running costs are met by my Departments schemes of capitation and ancillary service grants. Schools receive capitation funding in January and June, and the ancillary services grant in March. The amount paid to an individual national school by way of capitation and ancillary services grants is determined by the school's enrolment, subject to a minimum grant in respect of schools with enrolments up to 60 and a maximum grant in the case of schools of 500 or more.
The Deputy may wish to note that Circular 40/2009 clarifies issues relating to the allocation of funding for primary schools. The circular states that capitation funding provided for general running costs and funding provided for caretaking and secretarial services may be regarded as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities. Given the scale of our economic crisis, I have no scope to introduce new or additional funding measures to assist schools generally or for specific purposes, such as those referred to by the Deputy.