Clare Daly
Question:472. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reduction in expenditure in the 16 educational training boards; and if she would estimate the savings achieved since July 2013. [46256/14]
View answerTuesday, 2 December 2014
Questions (472)
Written answers
The financial allocation to the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) to pay teachers, special needs assistants, administrative and maintenance staff, for the day to day running of schools and head offices and for certain other programmes is known as the general and post primary programme grant. The grant is divided between pay and non-pay. Funding in respect of 2013 was allocated on a 12 month basis and based on the VEC configuration.
The total pay grant in 2013 amounted to some €710 million. Of this, €361 million was allocated to the VECs between January and June and €349 million to the ETBs from July to December. In 2014 the ETBs were given an initial pay grant of €668 million. This figure included adjustments for additional teachers and anticipated savings from the Haddington Road Agreement. The amount of the final pay grant for 2014 has not yet been determined and, accordingly, it is not yet possible to determine the difference in the grant between 2013 and 2014.
The non-pay grant to each ETB is to meet costs associated with schools, the ETBs' administrative offices and certain other items, such as the schools services support fund, DEIS schools and the book grant. The total non-pay grant in 2013 amounted to some €58 million. Of this, approximately €30 million was allocated to the VECs between January and June and €28 million to the ETBs from July to December.
The Deputy should note that, in 2013, the non-pay grant was reduced by €13.2 million, which took account of the capacity of VECs/ETBs to utilise cash balances on a once off basis. In 2014, although this reduction in exchequer funding was mostly reinstated, due to other factors, the grant was not fully restored and the initial non-pay grant in 2014 is €69 million approximately. The final non-pay grant for 2014 has not yet been determined and, accordingly, it is not yet possible to determine the difference in the grant between 2013 and 2014.
Questions Nos. 473 to 475, inclusive, answered with Question No. 458.
Questions Nos. 476 and 477 answered with Question No. 459.