Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 November 2017
145. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated full-year cost of restoring capitation grants to primary schools to pre 2010 levels; and the estimated full-year cost of a 10% increase in the capitation grant to primary schools. [51118/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra149. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated full-year cost of restoring capitation and related grants to primary and post-primary schools to pre-2011 levels. [51123/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra151. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated full-year cost of a 20% increase per annum in the per capita capitation to voluntary secondary schools; and the estimated full-year cost of a 10% increase in the capitation to community and comprehensive schools. [51125/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 145, 149 and 151 together.
The estimated cost of increasing the rate of capitation by 20% in voluntary secondary schools is circa €10.3m.
The estimated cost of increasing the rate of capitation by 10% to community and comprehensive schools is circa €1.6m.
The estimated cost of increasing the rate of capitation in primary schools by 10% is circa €9.9m.
The estimated cost of restoring capitation in primary schools to pre-2010 levels is circa €17.3m.
The overall cost of restoring capitation grants in primary and post-primary schools to pre-2010 levels is circa €35m.
I do recognise the need to improve capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years.
Budget 2018 marks the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continue to implement the Action Plan for Education, which has the central aim to make the Irish Education and Training service the best in Europe within a decade. In 2018, the budget for the Department of Education will increase by €554 million to over €10 billion.
Due to the many competing demands for the available funding it was not possible to make progress in Budget 2018 on restoring capitation funding to schools. Capitation funding remains a priority for me to address as part of the Action Plan.
The process is underway for restoring grant funding that is used by schools to fund the salaries of ancillary staff. The ancillary grant was increased by €6 in 2016 and €5 in 2017 in order to enable primary schools implement the arbitration salary increase for grant funded school secretaries and caretakers and to also implement the restoration of salary for cleaners arising from the unwinding of FEMPI legislation. A similar type approach in relation to improvements in grant funding was applied, as appropriate, at post-primary level.
