Brendan Smith highlights primary school funding strain before Budget 2026
Brendan Smith warned that primary school principals across Cavanagh face mounting day-to-day expenditure pressures and urged further increases to capitation funding ahead of Budget 2026. He outlined specific cost pressures and called for additional financial assistance, noting schools are already drawing on limited capitation to meet urgent needs.
Brendan Smith set out reports from principals who say they struggle to meet routine running costs. He said capitation grants must cover electricity, oil, insurance, essential teaching resources and ongoing maintenance, and noted some schools do not receive a meaningful ancillary grant.
He highlighted energy costs including electricity and oil and described insurance as "a dreadful burden" on school resources. He also said small schools face substantial professional fees to prepare applications for emergency minor works projects, with those fees often coming from capitation without certainty of approval.
The Department confirmed it is committed to offering supports and described two per-capita grants - the capitation grant and the ancillary grant - which schools can manage as a combined fund. The transcript records the current capitation rate for primary schools as €200 per pupil and the ancillary grant as €173; it notes a €30 million permanent increase secured for 2025 representing a 12% rise following a 9% increase in Budget 2024. From September this year the new capitation rates will be €224 per pupil in primary schools and €386 per pupil in post-primary schools, and the Department said a June 2025 balancing payment will cover January to December and include the new increased rates effective in September 2020 as recorded.
Brendan Smith said classrooms need to be properly resourced and warned against shifting growing financial burdens onto school staff, parents, boards of management, parents associations and local businesses. He expressed hope that Budget 2026 will deliver further increases and urged that schools receive the necessary financial support to meet day-to-day and annual costs.
Primary school funding pressures
Brendan Smith set out reports from principals who say they struggle to meet routine running costs. He said capitation grants must cover electricity, oil, insurance, essential teaching resources and ongoing maintenance, and noted some schools do not receive a meaningful ancillary grant.
Cost drivers cited by principals
He highlighted energy costs including electricity and oil and described insurance as "a dreadful burden" on school resources. He also said small schools face substantial professional fees to prepare applications for emergency minor works projects, with those fees often coming from capitation without certainty of approval.
Department response and capitation rates
The Department confirmed it is committed to offering supports and described two per-capita grants - the capitation grant and the ancillary grant - which schools can manage as a combined fund. The transcript records the current capitation rate for primary schools as €200 per pupil and the ancillary grant as €173; it notes a €30 million permanent increase secured for 2025 representing a 12% rise following a 9% increase in Budget 2024. From September this year the new capitation rates will be €224 per pupil in primary schools and €386 per pupil in post-primary schools, and the Department said a June 2025 balancing payment will cover January to December and include the new increased rates effective in September 2020 as recorded.
Implications for schools
Brendan Smith said classrooms need to be properly resourced and warned against shifting growing financial burdens onto school staff, parents, boards of management, parents associations and local businesses. He expressed hope that Budget 2026 will deliver further increases and urged that schools receive the necessary financial support to meet day-to-day and annual costs.
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Transcript
The Taoiseach primary school principals across Cavanagh have raised with me consistently the ongoing challenges they face in meeting day-to-day expenditure requirements. There have been improvements over recent years in capitation payments and hopefully Budget 2026 will provide for a further increase. School principals and boards have outlined clearly the need for further financial assistance. Energy costs including electricity and oil and insurance account for a very substantial portion of the overall capitation grant. One principal said to me that insurance is a dreadful burden on their resources. Some schools do not receive a meaningful ancillary grant payment. There are many other calls on the capitation grant including the purchase of essential teaching resources and ongoing maintenance costs. I am aware of small schools which have substantial professional fees to pay for the preparation of applications for emergency minor works projects all coming from capitation without certainty of approval of such applications. Classrooms need to be properly resourced and there cannot be more and more demands on school staff, parents, boards of management, parents association and local businesses to meet day-to-day expenditure and annual costs. Thank you Deputy Smith for raising this issue. I know this is an issue close to your heart. The Department is committed to offering all available and appropriate supports to all schools. Last year the Department of Education provides or does provide per capita grants to all recognised primary and post-primary. There are two grants, the capitation grant and the ancillary grant. The schools have flexibility to manage these grants as a combined fund. The current capitation rate for primary schools is €200 per pupil and the ancillary grant is €173. As part of the budget of last year for 2025, the Department has secured €30 million for permanent increase in capitation funding. This represents a 12% increase on current standard and enhanced rates and follows a 9% increase on budget 2024. From September this year the new capitation rates will be €224 per pupil in primary schools, €386 per pupil in post-primary schools. In addition, just an important point, the capitation grant payment in June 2025. This June will be a balancing payment for the period of January to December. It will include the new increased rates effective in September 2020. Thank you, Taoiseach. Deputy Rory Amorafu.