Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 April 2019
117. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for the capitation grant to be restored to €200 per pupil for primary schools; his further plans to increase the figure of €170 per pupil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15521/19]
View answerI fully recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools.
I am pleased to have been able to provide for a 5% increase in capitation funding for primary and post primary schools that will apply from the start of the 2019/20 school year. Over the course of the school year 2019/20, an additional €10 million will be allocated to primary and post primary schools, of which €4 million will be allocated in 2019.
I must be prudent in the context of ongoing budgetary pressures and I have to prioritise where it is not possible to do everything that I would like to do in the Education Sector in any one year especially in the light of increasing enrolments.
It is my intention to seek funding for further capitation increases in future budgets.
