Cathal Crowe
Question:330. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth the action taken to improve financial supports for primary schools since 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54541/26]
View answerThursday, 16 July 2026
Questions (330)
Written answers
Over the past number of years, the Government has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to strengthening our education and youth sectors. This includes increased capitation funding for schools, the allocation of thousands of additional teaching and Special Needs Assistant posts, enhanced supports for school leadership, smaller class sizes, targeted measures to address teacher supply, increased funding for youth services, the introduction of an Education Therapy Service and implementation of a new Delivering Equality of Opportunity In Schools (DEIS) Plus scheme and the provision of free schoolbooks at both primary and post-primary levels to ease financial pressure on families.
To support schools facing particular challenges, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme continues to provide targeted assistance. In Budget 2026, the introduction of DEIS Plus and new DEIS Plan will further support pupils at the highest risk of educational disadvantage that is designed to address disadvantage in a targeted and equitable way.
In addition, almost 1 million children and young people at all levels in primary and post-primary schools now benefit from the free schoolbooks and classroom resources scheme since 2025/26 school year.
The Government is committed to increasing funding to support schools and the Programme for Government commits to increasing capitation funding to schools of all types to ensure that schools can meet the elevated day-to-day running costs.
This commitment builds on the progress made in recent years. The Department of Education and Youth secured €39 million in Budget 2026 towards increased capitation funding for primary, post-primary and special schools to provide additional financial support towards their running costs. This will see an increase in the standard capitation rates paid to schools of €50 per pupil for primary schools from €224 to €274 and of €20 per student for post-primary schools from €386 to €406.
This will also allow for an increase of €20 in capitation rates for Urban Band One DEIS primary schools, and DEIS Plus primary schools, increasing the mainstream pupil rate in these schools to €294. The increased capitation rates will also see special schools now receive the same rates of mainstream capitation, for young people aged 12 and over, as for their peers in mainstream post-primary schools. These increases will take effect from September 2026. This funding will benefit schools around the country in managing their day-to-day running costs.
The increases announced in Budget 2026 are in addition to the 12% increases as part of Budget 2025. Since 2020 there has been an increase in the level of capitation grant rates of 49.7% (€91) paid to primary schools and 28.5% (€90) paid to post-primary schools.
The 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 the employment of relevant secretaries as per Circular 0036/2022.
The current standard rate of capitation grant is €224 per pupil in primary schools and €386 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. Enhanced rates are also paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils.
OGP frameworks are available to schools for a number of categories including facilities management, managed services, professional services, and utilities. Schools are encouraged to avail of the available OGP procurement frameworks in order to get the best value for money for all school expenditure, in accordance with Circular 0060/2013. The benefits arising from these frameworks include cash savings, administrative savings from reduced duplication of tendering, greater purchasing expertise, improved consistency, enhanced service levels and legal certainty. Schools Procurement Unit (SPU), funded by the department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on procurement matters: www.ipa.ie.
The Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU), funded by the department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on financial matters.
Schools experiencing financial difficulty are encouraged to contact the department for advice and support. The department is committed to offering all available and appropriate supports to schools, which may include an advance in capitation grant funding or other measures.
Schools that have contacted the department have been referred to the FSSU. We encourage schools to engage with the FSSU, and the school’s Patron, in order to work to rectify the financial challenges in schools.
While not wishing to pre-empt the outcomes of any future Budget negotiations or fiscal parameters agreed by Government, the Department of Education and Youth will continue to seek additional funding in order to assist schools to meet ongoing running costs.