Board of Education (R.O.I.)09 Oct 18

Statement on Budget 2019: Increase in capitation allowance

Investment in education has been key to the modernisation of Irish society since the 1960s. While a significant proportion of Ireland’s GDP is spent on education, this has been tempered by the significant cuts applied to the education sector endured during the economic downturn. The announcement of an increase in both capital spend on education and an increase in funding of 6.7% facilitating significant additionality of teaching and special needs assistant (SNA) posts is especially welcomed.

Today’s budget announcement of a 5% increase in the capitation allowance (the amount a school receives for each child annually from the State towards their education) is a welcome step towards rebalancing the drop in funding to schools since 2010; it is but one step. There are many competing demands on exchequer funding and Government must balance those demands. However, education is the key to a better Ireland in the long term and, in a globalised world, our young people deserve the same resources and opportunities as their counterparts across Europe and beyond. We note that the restoration of capitation funding is listed in the Action Plan for Education and we urge Government to view today’s 5% increase as the first incremental step on an ascent back up to a level of capitation funding that reflects the value of investment in education, as an investment in the common good and the future of Ireland.