IPPN

Last Updated: Friday, 20 February 2015 11:47

Minister for Education and Skills announces €28m Minor Works grant for National Schools.

Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan, TD, today announced the provision of €28m in funding for primary schools in 2014. The Minor Works Grant will issue to all primary schools with permanent recognition next week. The €28m fund is focused on improving the physical infrastructure of schools and investment in equipment and furniture.

The rates payable are €5,500 per school plus €18.50 per mainstream pupil and €74 per special needs pupil. The grant is worth €6,425 for a 50 pupil school and more than €11,000 for a 300 pupil school.

IPPN CEO Sean Cottrell said ’  Never in our experience has a grant been so welcome to schools. Principals will have a fund to carry out some basic repairs and maintenance to their schools. Unfortunately the grant in many cases will be spent to cover bills that have accrued since last June’s Capitation Grant. This is a perennial problem. Schools are paid the annual grants approximately six months in arrears.  IPPN welcomes this grant and hopefully it marks the beginning of returning to the levels of funding in 2000. Principals also state that having certainty about grant aid is as important as the grant itself as it allows the Board of Management to budget for the various minor works involved.