Vol. 476 No. 4
97 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Education if she has studied the results of the ASTI survey on staffing, funding and facilities in counties Monaghan and Cavan; if so, the plans, if any, she has to address the issues raised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7300/97]
I have informed the House previously that I welcome the recent ASTI survey on staffing, funding and facilities in Irish second level schools as a valuable input to the debate on the optimum allocation of our national resources to the greatest benefit of our people. I have noted the findings of the survey regarding the second level schools in counties Cavan and Monaghan.
I am fully aware of the demands for increased funding by second level schools. There are also demands for increased funding in the other sectors of education as well as demands for increased spending on other public expenditure programmes. Notwithstanding the many competing demands on budgetary resources, significant increases have been granted in funding schools at second level. In this context, second level schools in counties Cavan and Monaghan have benefited from these increases.
In keeping with the commitment in the White Paper on Education, "Charting our Education Future", I have established a steering group on the funding of second level schools which will draw up a recommended funding framework designed to ensure equal treatment for different schools within the second level sector. Following the enactment of the Education Bill, it is intended that schools will have statutorily based entitlements to current funding on the basis of nationally based criteria.
The steering group includes representatives of the education partners and is being assisted by a working party of technical experts. The technical working group will prepare a report and recommendations and will be published. The steering group will then submit final recommendations to me and these will also be published.
