Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 July 2026
339. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth the amount of funding allocated to each county as part of the minor works grant in each of the years 2020 to 2025, and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54551/26]
View answerUnder the Department’s NDP Sectoral Plan published in January 2026 and in line with programme for Government commitment, clarity and certainty has been provided to the school system in relation to confirming the December/ January period as the annual timeline for the payment of the Minor Works Grant and ICT Grant.
Since 2020, close to €340 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 2026/2027 which has issued in December 2025.
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 next payment of Minor Works Grant for school year 2027/2028 will issue in either December 2026 or January 2027.
In recent years, my department’s approach has been to pay the Minor Works Grant to schools in advance of the start of the following school year, in order to facilitate a better lead in period for schools to plan any maintenance or minor works during the summer period.
Please see Table below regarding funding allocated to each County for years 2020-2025.
Table includes additional payments to schools in 2020 and 2021 during COVID.
