Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 May 2018
81. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated full year cost of restoring pre-2010 capitation levels to primary schools; and the estimated full year cost of a 10% increase in the capitation grant to primary schools. [19414/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra85. Deputy Barry Cowen 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. [19419/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra87. Deputy Barry Cowen 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. [19421/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 81, 85 and 87 together.
The estimated cost of restoring capitation funding is provided in the following tables.
Estimated cost of restoring Capitation Funding to pre-2011 levels
|
Schools |
|
|
Primary Schools |
€17.6m |
|
Post-Primary Schools |
€18.0m |
Estimated full year cost of % Increases in Capitation Funding
|
Schools |
|
|
Primary Schools – 10% increase |
€9.9m |
|
Voluntary Secondary Schools - 20% increase |
€10.3m |
|
Community and Comprehensive Schools – 10% increase |
€1.6m |
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. Through budget 2017 and Budget 2018, we are now investing €1 billion more in education.
I recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years. The first cuts to capitation were announced in October 2010 by the then Minister for Finance. Restoring capitation funding as resources permit is one of the actions I have included in the Action Plan for Education.
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.
