Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
Question:339. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of increasing grants (details supplied) for the primary sector by 20% for the 2025/2026 school year. [21745/24]
View answerTuesday, 14 May 2024
Questions (339)
Written answers
My Department is committed to providing 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 grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. Schools have the flexibility to use capitation funding provided for general running costs and ancillary funding provided for caretaking and secretarial services as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities.
The current standard rate of Capitation grant is €183 per student in primary schools.
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 grant to the pre-2011 level of €200 per student in primary schools. Enhanced rates will also be paid in respect of pupils with Special Educational Needs. This represents an increase of circa 9.2% of current standard and enhanced capitation rates.
Based on the current standard rate of capitation grant, the estimated cost of a 20% increase in the rate of Capitation grant for 2025/26 academic year at primary level is a first year cost of €6.9 million and a full year cost of €20.2 million.
The ancillary services grant funding is currently under review to identify a method of standardising the grant for the longer term where school secretaries have moved over to a Department operated payroll. It is not possible to provide an estimated costing for an increase in this grant funding at present.
The Department recognises the importance of the Minor Works Grant to primary and special schools. Under Project Ireland 2040, a commitment was given that the Minor Works Grant would be paid in either December or January of the school year to all primary and special schools. In recent years the Department’s approach has been to pay the Minor Works Grant to primary and special schools in advance of the start of the following school year to facilitate a better lead in period for schools to plan any maintenance or minor works during the summer period.
The Minor Works Grant for the school year 2024/2025 issued in April 2024. The lead-in period ahead of the new school year gives schools sufficient time to make plans and set priorities for use of the funding.
Primary and special schools need not apply for minor works grant aid. Under the scheme, funding is made available to all primary and special schools on the following basis:
€5,500 basic grant plus €18.50 per mainstream pupil and €74 per special needs pupil enrolled in the school on the 30th of September of the year prior to the issue of the grant. The €74 rate applies to a special needs pupil attending a special school or attending a special class attached to a mainstream school.
Schools have the autonomy to use this funding for maintenance and small-scale improvements to school buildings and grounds. Given that each school setting is different, individual schools are best placed to decide how best to use this funding to address their particular needs.
The works that can be undertaken under the Minor Works Grant Scheme include maintenance and small-scale improvements to school buildings and grounds, improvement or replacement of mechanical and electrical services, the purchase of standard furniture and educational equipment, the purchase of floor coverings and window blinds, the purchase of IT related equipment, ventilation improvements, and enhancements to outdoor learning environments.
In 2024 the Minor works grant paid to schools amounted to €29 million. The cost of increasing Minor Works Grant ceiling by 20% equates to circa €5.8 million. This may vary depending on annual enrolments.