Sorca Clarke
Question:82. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the payment dates of the minor works grants, ancillary grants and ICT grants. [31620/23]
View answerThursday, 29 June 2023
Questions (82)
Oral answers (6 contributions)
I am told there was a significant change in the financial support services unit, FSSU, produced grant schedule for the 2022-23 academic year, which led to confusion among primary schools because it changed so frequently throughout the year. We all accept and understand that primary schools, like every other sector, are feeling the effects of the current cost-of-living crisis. They need to be able to plan and budget effectively. This uncertainty regarding the timing and payment of key grants has caused unnecessary financial issues for schools. Will the Minister please confirm the payment dates for the minor works grants, the ancillary grants and the ICT grants?
As part of budget 2023, as the Deputy will be aware, the Department is investing more than €9.6 billion in the primary and post-primary education system. This reflects an increase of €443 million in core funding as well as more than €145 million in non-core expenditure. This builds on significant increases in recent budgets and reflects the Government’s commitment to a quality, inclusive school system.
As part of the cost-of-living measures to be enacted this year, €90 million was provided in one-off additional funding to schools to support increased running costs for primary and post-primary schools in the free education system. This was paid at a rate of 40% of schools’ basic and enhanced rates of capitation. The minor works grants, ancillary grants and ICT grants form part of the overall range of grants, which were specifically referred to by the Deputy. The minor works grant is provided to all primary schools to enable them to undertake small-scale minor maintenance and improvement works. It can also be used for the purchase of equipment, including supporting ICT provision. Funding of minor works grants to the value of €309 million has been issued since 2018. This includes a €30 million grant which was paid to all primary schools in April this year.
Ancillary grant funding for primary and post-primary schools facilitates the provision of caretaker and secretarial services in schools. It is paid over a number of instalments, depending on the particular sector. In 2022, the Department provided €170 million ancillary grant funding, which included €98.6 million at primary level and €72 million at post-primary level. This grant funding to schools was increased in recent years to facilitate salary increases for secretaries and caretakers. All ancillary grant funding for the current school year has been paid in full. That includes all minor works and ancillary grants.
The ICT grant funding is part of the overall digital strategy for schools and has involved an investment of €260 million since 2016, including the issue of €100 million in 2020 to enable schools to support the continuity of teaching and learning during the pandemic. This grant funding was last paid to primary and post-primary schools in December 2021 and involved an investment of €50 million at that stage. A further €50 million in grant funding for ICT infrastructure to address learners impacted by the digital divide also issued in late 2021 under Ireland’s national recovery and resilience plan through the NextGenerationEU facility. The Department intends to pay the next tranche of ICT grant funding in the coming school year.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
The specific timing for the issuing of the ICT grant is subject to the availability of Exchequer funding and the wider capital needs of the Department, including the building programme to ensure the supply of school accommodation. As part of the forthcoming review of the national development plan, my Department’s aim is to provide better clarity and certainty for schools on the timelines for payment of minor works and ICT grant funding.
I am told it is the changes in the FSSU grant schedule that are causing significant issues for schools. The Covid cleaning support grant was paid in September 2022, followed by the once-off cost-of-living grant in December 2022. That was entirety of moneys received from the Department in term 1, which resulted in some schools running at a deficit. The initial grant schedule stated the minor works and ICT grants would be paid in December, but the Minister said the minor works grant was paid in April. The ICT grant now seems to be pushed into the next school year at some arbitrary date that has yet to be confirmed. I am also told the grant schedule again changed at Christmas and the ICT grant on that schedule will be paid in April. The minor works grant disappeared entirely. The grant schedule then changed again in May, when the ICT grant was removed, and disappeared from the website in June.
Will the Minister provide some clarity? Will the enhanced Covid cleaning grant that was not actually included in the calendar but paid in the first two terms be paid for in term 3? When will the money for the reimbursement of school secretaries be paid to schools and will the Minister provide a definitive date for that? Will the Minister please ensure that, from here on out, an unchanging and accurate calendar will be provided to schools so they can actually budget?
I will be very clear. All moneys due to schools have been paid. I confirmed to the Deputy that all moneys in respect of the minor works payment have been paid. It is important to say that, over the past three years, not only have minor works grants been paid, but we have also on occasion seen double the money for minor works being paid to schools. Equally, throughout the Covid period in 2020, we saw a doubling of the money, or €100 million, being paid and, in the following year, we also saw €100 million, which was also a doubling of the money being paid, for ICT grants. It is not just that the money is being paid; in some instances it is being paid on the double. That is quite a significant investment from the Department.
The Deputy referred specifically to school secretaries. She will be well aware, as will the House, of the change in circumstances relating to school secretaries and their wish to be paid distinct from the block grant that went to schools. A considerable body of work was undertaken by the Department on this matter, and I acknowledge the unanimity of everyone in the House on wanting to progress and do that work, which is well under way and has been greeted very positively by all within that sector. Significant tranches of funding have been made available to schools.
Where there might be an issue similar to that referred to by the Deputy, the FSSU is available to schools on a one-to-one basis, if there is any individual need. There is no question, however, of moneys not being paid to schools. Indeed, as I said, they are being paid on the double in many instances.
I will go back to the ICT grant for a moment, which was included in the FSSU calendar at the beginning of the past academic year. Schools invested wisely at that point, depending on that grant coming through. The Minister has just told the House and confirmed that grant will not be paid in this academic year. In fact, it will be the next academic year before that grant will be paid. Those schools who made those wise investments and signed up to wise contracts to be able to maintain and invest in the ICT infrastructure of their schools are now at a financial loss because that grant was not paid on time in accordance with the calendar produced by the FSSU.
I welcome the minor grants payments being made. That is a positive step and one that schools welcome, but there can be no justification for the lack of clarity around when payments will be made to primary schools to enable principals to be able to budget effectively. With the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach's indulgence, I will put on record a statement from a principal:
We are being pushed around constantly and cannot depend on payments of grants at any stage. In more than 10 years as a principal, I have never known such financial problems and uncertainty.
It is about the uncertainty. I again the Minister again to please ensure a coherent calendar is published that is adhered to by the Department.
Specifically on the case raised by the Deputy that referred to "more than ten years", in more than ten years, there has never been as much money going to the primary or post-primary school sectors. I am very happy, on an individual basis, to take the name and details of the principal to whom the Deputy referred, if he or she has a particular issue. This year, for example, I can point to more than €90 million in additional funding that has gone directly into schools for any issues they might have, including energy costs. I can point to the fact that more than €200 million in the past couple of years has specifically gone to ICT funding. Never before has that level of funding gone into any schools. I can also point to the fact that, on many occasions, double the allocation for minor works has been made available to schools. That is distinct and separate from all the additional funding that went into schools throughout the Covid period.
I cannot comprehend this question of moneys not going into schools. I understand that if a school has an individual issue - and I accept that individual schools have different needs at different times - the FSSU is very happy to engage with them on a one-to-one basis. I would be more than happy to engage on the issue raised by the Deputy.