Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
443. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education to specify the cost of increasing capitation rates for primary school pupils and post-primary school pupils respectively by 10% in the academic year 2024/2025 and by a further 10% in the academic year 2025/2026, in tabular form. [14126/24]
View answer444. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education to specify the cost of increasing capitation rates for primary school pupils and post-primary school pupils respectively by an additional €10 per pupil in the academic year 2024/2025 and by a further 10% in the academic year 2025/2026, in tabular form. [14127/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 443 and 444 together.
My Department is committed to providing funding to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance, general up-keep etc. and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. Schools have the flexibility to use capitation funding provided for general running costs and ancillary funding provided for caretaking and secretarial services as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities.
The current standard rate of Capitation grant is €183 per pupil at Primary level and this year's grant is being paid, as usual, in 2 instalments, - the first in January and the second in June, for the 2023/24 academic year.
As part of the capitation package in Budget 2024 I am pleased to have secured €21 million as a permanent increase in capitation funding to assist schools now and longer term with increased day-to-day running costs. This will support a permanent restoration of funding for all primary and post-primary schools from September 2024. This will bring the basic rate of capitation grant to the pre-2011 level of €200 per student in primary schools and to €345 in voluntary secondary schools. Enhanced rates will also be paid in respect of pupils with Special Educational Needs. This represents an increase of circa 9.2% of current standard and enhanced capitation rates.
Officials from my Department have sought clarification from the Deputy, with regard to the baseline for calculating the requested costings, on a number of occasions. It is not possible to provide the costings without this information and this has not yet been received.
