Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 October 2021
132. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education her views on the adequacy of the school capitation grant levels for primary schools; if she will report on the basis for the discrepancy between the per pupil allocation between primary and secondary school students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50058/21]
View answerI understand the need for improved capitation funding and I am pleased that budget 2020 was able to provide for a 2.5% increase in standard capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools that applied from the start of the 2020/21 school year. This builds on the 5% increase in capitation announced in budget 2019.
The combined increases given in 2019 and 2020 mean that circa 40% restoration has been achieved.
All schools have received the benefit of the capitation increases awarded to date. It is my intention to seek funding for further capitation increases in future budgets.
It is difficult to make precise comparisons between the levels of grants paid and the actual costs of running schools at primary and post-primary.
In general, post-primary schools are larger than primary schools. They have specialist rooms such as laboratories, workshops etc. This leads to higher unit costs in for heat, light, power, maintenance and cleaning.
