Written Answers. - School Services.
Tony Gregory
Ceist:
132
Mr. Gregory
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
if his Department will examine alternative ways to ensure that the special provision of meals to children in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 1 can continue; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31969/01]
My Department provides funding towards ancillary services in schools in the form of assistance to schools towards the cost of secretarial and caretaking services. Responsibility for the operation of community employment – CE – schemes in schools lies with FÁS. In line with a PPF commitment to mainstream certain essential services provided under CE, I recently secured the transfer of £46 million, 58,407,951, per annum to my Department on a phased basis between now and 2003, as the FÁS school-based community employment 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 to 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.
My Department has issued circulars to all primary schools outlining details of the new funding arrangements. I am increasing the grant for care takers 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 has been 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.
In line with the new arrangements, the school referred to by the Deputy recently received a further payment of £2,200, 2,793.42, towards the cost of ancillary services.
I have also announced that I am immediately appointing consultants to examine and advise on transitional arrangements that may affect some schools during the process of the withdrawal of CE schemes. I am setting aside £2 million, 2,539,476, to respond to the recommendations of the consultants.
The Deputy will also be aware that I recently agreed with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÁS that all school based CE participants with a legitimate expectation of up to three years participation in a school based CE scheme will be facilitated to complete their full term. This adjustment to the phasing out of CE schemes in schools means that certain CE participants may be entitled to continue working on CE in schools up to and including 2004 depending on their individual circumstances and entitlements under CE. This adjustment should also ensure that the withdrawal of CE schemes takes place on a more gradual basis and therefore reduce the immediate impact on schools.
In addition to the new funding arrangements outlined above that have been put in place by my Department, my colleague, the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, has established an interdepartmental working group to review the existing schools meals scheme with a view to developing proposals for the future of school meals provision. The Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs operate the current schools meals scheme in co-operation with various local authorities. My Department is represented on this working group. It is expected that the report of the working group will be completed in the near future.
In the circumstances, if the school referred to by the Deputy wishes to make a submission to my Department in relation to this matter, I can confirm that it will be examined in the context of the consultant's report on transitional difficulties that some schools may be experiencing as a result of the withdrawal of CE schemes. I can also confirm that my Department's representatives on the working group reviewing the school meals scheme will bring any submission to the attention of that working group. It is important, however, that the submission would contain full details on the background to the particular situation per taining in this school, including details of when CE participants in the school are due to complete their periods of employment on such schemes. Any submission should be sent to the primary administration section 2 of my Department in Athlone.
