Vol. 495 No. 2
193 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason that the basic capitation grant for primary schools is 28 per cent of that given to secondary schools; and the plans, if any, he has to increase this grant to full parity in view of the increased maintenance costs of computers, heating and so on and the necessity for security arrangements to protect the more expensive equipment now in primary schools. [19734/98]
The Government's commitment to giving primary education a clear priority in the allocation of resources is set out in the policy document, An Action Programme for the Millennium. This commitment is clearly reflected in the 1998 estimates, where I provided for an overall increase of almost 12 per cent in expenditure on primary education over the 1997 budget allocation. In this context, the 11 per cent increase in the standard rate of capitation grant at primary level represented an important step forward in the process of increasing capitation funding at primary level.
It is important to note, however, that the difference in grant level reflects the fact that maintenance costs for second level schools are much greater on a unit cost basis than those in primary schools. In addition, the second level capitation payment is required to cover a different range of expenditures.
I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to give priority to the issue of further increases in the capitation grant to primary schools.
In relation to security arrangements, it is open to a school management to apply to my Department for grant aid towards capital improvements to their facilities. The process of dealing with applications is set out in the publication, National School Capital Programme, which issued to all schools in 1994. Since then, a devolved grant scheme has commenced under which each national school is paid a basic annual capital grant of £2,000 plus £9 per pupil, which may be spent by the school on improvement works to buildings, services, grounds and furnishings. Such improvements could also include works to upgrade a school's security measures.
