Thomas Byrne
Ceist:109. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he will set out capitation rates on a rolling three-year basis as per the programme for partnership Government commitment. [18415/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 26 April 2018
Ceisteanna (109)
Freagraí scríofa
In relation to capitation levels for future years, the Programme for a Partnership Government commited to investing an extra €500m in education by 2021 through various measures including annual increases in primary and secondary capitation rates. It also provided for the setting out of capitation rates to schools on a rolling 3-year basis. Through Budget 2017 & Budget 2018, we are now investing €1 billion more in education.
The Action Plan for Education outlines hundreds of actions to be implemented over the 3 year period 2016-2019 which include restoring capitation funding as resources permit.
Budget 2018 marked 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 increased by €554 million to over €10 billion.
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, €5 in 2017 and €5 in 2018, in order to enable primary schools to 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.
The commitments in the Programme, including setting out of capitation rates on a rolling 3-year basis will be considered in the context of the budgetary process.