School Funding

Thursday, 17 July 2025

Questions (339)

Conor D. McGuinness

Question:

339. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth the amount of funding given to each county as part of the minor works grant in each of the years 2014 to 2024, and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40507/25]

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Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

My department recognises the importance of the Minor Works Grant to primary schools. The Minor Works Grant is provided to all primary and special schools, to enable them undertake small-scale minor maintenance and improvement works on a devolved basis.

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 the school’s particular needs.

Since 2020, €310 million in Minor Works Grants and Enhanced Minor Works Grants have been allocated to schools. This includes the payment of Minor Works Grants totalling almost €30 million for the school year 2025/2026, which issued in June.

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.

My department’s Minor Works spend figures by county, over the period 2014 – 2025, are outlined below.

County	2025	2024	2023	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014
Carlow	.4	.4	.4	.88	2.35	.4	.4	.4	.4	.4	.39
Cavan	.63	.63	.63	1.19	2.98	.62	.62	.62	.61	.61	.6
Clare	.89	.89	.88	1.78	4.27	.9	.9	.9	.9	.91	.86
Cork	3.29	3.29	3.26	6.91	17.58	3.26	3.22	3.2	3.17	3.14	3.07
Donegal	1.35	1.35	1.35	2.65	6.64	1.34	1.34	1.34	1.34	1.34	1.33
Dublin	5.7	5.71	5.74	12.17	32.05	5.65	5.58	5.52	5.44	5.37	5.12
Galway	1.86	1.88	1.85	3.86	9.74	1.88	1.84	1.83	1.83	1.83	1.77
Kerry	1.07	1.08	1.07	2.19	5.46	1.07	1.07	1.06	1.07	1.07	1.04
Kildare	1.18	1.17	1.17	2.52	6.89	1.17	1.16	1.16	1.14	1.13	1.09
Kilkenny	.66	.66	.66	1.36	3.52	.65	.66	.64	.64	.64	.59
Laois	.59	.59	.58	1.19	2.81	.59	.59	.58	.58	.54	.52
Leitrim	.28	.28	.28	.56	1.36	.27	.27	.27	.27	.26	.26
Limerick	1.27	1.26	1.25	2.55	6.62	1.26	1.25	1.27	1.21	1.21	1.17
Longford	.32	.32	.32	.67	1.77	.32	.31	.31	.31	.31	.31
Louth	.77	.77	.76	1.62	4.5	.77	.76	.74	.73	.73	.71
Mayo	1.17	1.17	1.14	2.33	5.64	1.17	1.15	1.14	1.14	1.14	1.12
Meath	1.19	1.18	1.18	2.44	6.35	1.17	1.16	1.15	1.15	1.14	1.1
Monaghan	.5	.5	.5	1.	2.52	.49	.49	.49	.49	.48	.47
Offaly	.59	.57	.58	1.18	2.93	.58	.58	.57	.57	.57	.56
Roscommon	.65	.65	.66	1.17	2.76	.65	.64	.64	.61	.61	.61
Sligo	.51	.51	.54	1.09	2.58	.53	.53	.53	.53	.52	.52
Tipperary	1.25	1.26	1.23	2.54	6.37	1.25	1.24	1.24	1.23	1.22	1.21
Waterford	.71	.71	.71	1.53	3.88	.71	.71	.71	.7	.71	.7
Westmeath	.66	.66	.66	1.36	3.45	.65	.65	.65	.65	.64	.65
Wexford	.96	.95	.95	2.05	5.23	.95	.94	.94	.94	.91	.9
Wicklow	.82	.81	.82	1.84	4.65	.82	.81	.82	.82	.8	.74
Grand Total	29.27	29.26	29.16	60.63	154.9	29.13	28.88	28.73	28.46	28.21	27.4