Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2023
790. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of a 15% increase in the ancillary services grant for primary and special schools to cover the costs from 1 September 2023 to 31 December 2023 and from 1 January 2024 to 30 June 2024. [14027/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides funding to recognised Primary and Post-Primary schools in the free education scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance, general up-keep etc. and the Ancillary/School Services Support Fund (SSSF) to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff.
Schools are permitted to regard the capitation and ancillary/SSSF grants as a combined grant. It is a matter for each individual school to decide how best to apply the grant funding to suit its particular needs.
The current standard rate of Ancillary Grant is €173.00 per pupil.
The estimated cost of a 15% increase in the ancillary services grant per pupil in Primary and Special schools to cover the costs from 1 September 2023 to 31 December 2023 is circa €5.1m. The estimated cost of a 15% increase for 1 January 2024 to 30 June 2024 would be circa €7.7m. The estimated full year cost in 2024 would be circa €15.4m.
The Ancillary Services grant was increased by €26 from 2016 to 2021, 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.
