Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
498. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education to provide information on the specific amount and the date for payment of the ancillary grant for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14696/24]
View answer499. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education when the remaining capitation grant will be disbursed for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14697/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 498 and 499 together.
I refer to the Deputy's representation on behalf of St. Bríd’s Special School, Castlebar.
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.
Following the acceptance by Forsa of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) agreement in respect of salaries and various leave entitlements for grant-funded school secretaries, those secretaries who accepted the terms of this agreement have been placed on a payroll operated by this Department. Therefore, as schools will no longer be responsible for paying the salaries of these secretaries, it is necessary to revise the ancillary grant funding. The priority to date has been to ensure secretaries could be set up on a Department payroll on the correct point on the pay scale from September 2023. This represented a very significant body of work, given the numbers involved.
This school has received all ancillary funding due for 2023. Work has commenced on the calculation of the ancillary grant due to schools for 2024. Correspondence will issue to schools in due course in relation to this funding.
