Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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149. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the rate of capitation for pupils at national school for the current year and for each of the five previous years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37152/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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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 and general up-keep, 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, except for cases where a secretary is now paid from my Department’s payroll as per circular 0036/2022.

The current standard rate of Capitation grant is €200 per pupil in primary schools and €345 per student in post-primary schools.

Primary schools with fewer than 60 pupils are paid the Capitation and the Ancillary grants on the basis of having 60 pupils.

In addition to these grants, €20 million in funding was issued in October 2023, to support all recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme. This funding was the first tranche of an overall additional €60 million funding announced as part of Budget 2024 measures designed to assist schools with increased day-to-day running costs such as heating and electricity. A further €40 million in funding was delivered in early 2024.

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 supports a permanent restoration of funding for all primary and post-primary schools from September 2024. This brings the standard rate of Capitation grant to the pre-2011 level of €200 per pupil in primary schools and €345 per student in post-primary schools. Enhanced rates will also be paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils. This represents an increase of circa 9.2% of current standard rates and the relevant enhanced rates.

The capitation grant rates for primary schools are published in Circular 0056/2024, which is available on my Department’s website. The below table shows the mainstream capitation grant rates for primary schools since September 2019.