My Department provides funding towards ancillary services in schools in the form of assistance to schools towards the cost of secretarial and caretaking services. In line with a PPF commitment to mainstream certain essential services provided under community employment, CE, schemes, I recently secured the transfer of £46 million, 58,407,951, per annum to my Department on a phased basis as the FÁS school-based CE schemes come to an end. The availability of this funding has enabled me to make significant progress in relation to the provision of secretarial and caretaking services for schools by putting in place an equitable system of funding for ancillary services throughout the free education school system. My Department will receive a total of £32 million, 40,631,618, in this school year.
Proposals for the distribution of the moneys received this year at primary and post-primary levels have now been finalised. In the case of primary schools, I am increasing the grant for caretakers and secretaries from £40, 50.79, per pupil per annum to £100, 126.98, per pupil over this school year and the next. With immediate effect, the grant will be increased from £40, 50.79, to £60, 76.18, per pupil. This will be further increased to £80, 101.58, per pupil in January. As a result, the minimum grant to be paid to schools with 60 pupils or less will increase from £2,400, 3,047.37, to £4,800, 6,094.74, while schools with 500 pupils or more will increase from £20,000, 25,394.76, to £40,000, 50,789.52, per annum. My Department recently issued circulars to all primary schools outlining details of the new funding arrangements.