As part of Budget 2024, €10.5 billion in total funding was secured for Education. This significant increase in funding ensures that the total budget is at the highest ever for our primary and post-primary schools. The funding will ensure continued reduced costs for families; it will continue to tackle disadvantage and it will provide further supports to safeguard inclusive education for all school communities.
This year’s Budget will provide targeted funding for school communities with an increase in capitation of over €81 million.
The current standard rate of capitation grant is €183 per pupil at primary level, and at post-primary the standard rate is €316 per student for voluntary secondary schools. The standard capitation rates are different for Community and Comprehensive schools as well as those in the ETB sector as these schools are funded via non-pay budget grants from the Department.
As part of the capitation package in Budget 2024, I am pleased to have secured €21 million as a permanent increase in capitation funding to assist schools now and longer term with increased day-to-day running costs. This will support a permanent restoration of funding for all primary and post-primary schools from September 2024. This will bring the basic rate of capitation to €200 per student in primary schools and to €345 in voluntary secondary schools. Enhanced rates will also be paid in respect of pupils with Special Educational Needs. This represents an increase of circa 9.2% on current standard and enhanced capitation rates.
The €81 million secured for capitation also includes €60 million as part of the Cost of Living measures in Budget 2024. All recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education scheme have benefitted from this additional capitation funding, paid at an average rate of €49 per pupil at primary level and €75 at post-primary level. Enhanced rates were also paid in respect of pupils with Special Educational Needs. This funding was paid in two instalments to schools, in October 2023 and in early 2024 respectively.
Schools also receive an Ancillary Services Grant. The standard rate is €173 per pupil in primary schools and €224.50 per student in post-primary schools.
Primary schools with less than 60 pupils are paid the Capitation and the Ancillary grants on the basis of having 60 pupils. At post-primary level, schools with less than 200 students receive ancillary-related grants on the basis of having 200 students.
Schools also receive a range of other grants including Book Grants and Programme grants. For the 2023/24 school year I introduced a landmark new scheme that signifies a new chapter in Irish primary education, to provide free school books for all primary and special school pupils.
Following on from this, I am pleased to confirm that funding is secured to extend the free school books scheme to junior cycle students from the start of the next school year in September 2024. The total funding available for this extension of the scheme is €67 million.
