Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:291. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of each one point increase in the capitation grant for primary schools. [35211/19]
View answerDáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 6 September 2019
291. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of each one point increase in the capitation grant for primary schools. [35211/19]
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. The first and full year costs of this increase is €4 million and €10 million respectively.
The estimated cost of restoring capitation by 1% in Primary schools is circa €1 million.
I must be prudent in the context of ongoing budgetary pressures. Where it is not possible to do everything that I would like to do in the education sector in any one year I have to prioritise, especially in the context of increasing enrolments.
It is my intention to seek funding for further capitation increases in future budgets.