Vol. 498 No. 1
343 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the plight of small national schools in Cavan and Monaghan; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that in a school of 43 students the capitation grant is only £2,150, which is an inadequate sum to run the day to day expenses; and if he will increase the amount of £50 per child in order that these rural schools can continue to operate. [26289/98]
I have been made aware of difficulties being experienced by some national schools, including schools in Cavan and Monaghan, in relation to the amount of capitation funding available to them. The further increase of £10 in the standard rate of capitation grant, which I secured for 1999, will go some way to alleviating these difficulties.
This latest increase will bring the standard rate of capitation grant to £60 per pupil. Taken in conjunction with the increase of £5 which I obtained in 1998, this constitutes a 33 per cent increase over the grant in place when I assumed office. These increases represent important steps in the process of increasing capitation funding at primary level.
I should point out that schools with an enrolment of less than 60 pupils qualify for a minimum grant, which in 1998 stood at £3,000. Thus, a school with 43 pupils would have received the minimum grant of £3,000, not £2,150 as mentioned by the Deputy. The minimum grant for 1999 will be £3,600.
