Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 13 Nov 2003

Vol. 574 No. 3

Written Answers. - School Staffing.

John Perry

Ceist:

158 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science his plans to make funding available to meet the learning support requirements for secondary schools in County Sligo and in particular Easkey and Enniscrone; the moneys that will be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26899/03]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

Learning support teacher services are provided to all second level schools in the free education scheme. The learning support teacher service is focused on children with literacy-numeracy difficulties who score below the tenth percentile in standardised tests of literacy-numeracy. The level of support provided in each case is determined by reference to the number of pupils enrolled in the school. In the case of schools with an enrolment in excess of 600, a full-time post is allocated. Schools with lesser enrolments receive 0.5 of a teaching post.

Children who have been professionally assessed as having special educational needs are supported by the resource teacher and special needs assistant services.

The position regarding the two schools specifically mentioned by the Deputy is that Jesus and Mary, secondary school, Enniscrone, has an allocation of 0.5 of a teaching post for learning support and 1.04 resource teacher posts. Easkey college has an allocation of 0.5 of a teaching post for learning support and 1.25 resource teacher posts. My Department is continuing to make support services available in response to identified special needs.

John Perry

Ceist:

159 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science the funding that has been allocated to secondary schools in County Sligo for payment of grants for secretaries and caretakers, cleaning and minor repairs; the funding that will be allocated for insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26901/03]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

Schools in the voluntary secondary sector in County Sligo are funded on the same basis as all other voluntary secondary schools nationwide.

The funding arrangements for voluntary secondary schools is structured mainly on the basis of capitation grants with additional grants for secretarial and care-taking services. The funding allocated by way of per capita grants in respect of the five secondary schools amounted to some €1.8 million for school year 2002-03. Of this sum, some €1.55 million relates to general expenses, including those services referred to by the Deputy. The balance of €0.25 million includes funding towards programme grants, ICT grants and equipment grants.

There have been significant improvements in the level of funding for voluntary secondary schools. The standardper capita grant now amounts to €266.49 as against the rate of €224.74 that applied in 1997. For disadvantaged schools the increase has brought the per capita grant to over €300. In addition, secondary schools have benefited under the school services support initiative. The initial grant of €25 per pupil that was introduced for second level schools in September 2000 was increased to €89 per pupil from September 2002 and was further increased by €10 per pupil from January last to €99 per pupil. In the case of voluntary secondary schools the grant was increased by a further €28 to €117 in September 2002 bringing the support services grant in the case of such schools to €127 per pupil from January last. This increase is in addition to the range of equalisation grants of up to €15,554 per school, €44.44 per pupil, per annum that have also been approved for voluntary secondary schools.

For a secondary school with 500 pupils, this amounts to extra funding of up to €100,000 per annum and annual grants of €236,761, €255,811 in the case of disadvantaged schools, towards general expenses and support services.

Schools are afforded considerable flexibility in the use of these resources to cater for the needs of their pupils. This is in my view, in general, a preferable approach to putting in place grants for specific initiatives, including those referred to by the Deputy.

I am committed to improving further the funding position of voluntary secondary schools in the light of available resources.