Our primary schools cannot be expected to survive on inadequate capitation grants that don\u2019t come close to meeting rising running costs, according to Social Democrats TD Jen Cummins.<\/p>\n
Deputy Cummins, who is a TD for Dublin South-Central and the party\u2019s spokesperson on education, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cAccording to the Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA), a record number of schools have had to seek emergency financial assistance from the Department of Education this year. A review of 90 schools found that, between 2019 and 2024, costs increased by between 60 and 70 per cent.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have engaged extensively with principals, in my own constituency and across the country, and the consensus is clear \u2013 schools are underfunded and unable to meet basic operational demands due to rising costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite a very slight increase in capitation funding of around \u20ac30\u202fmillion, this is not enough to offset rising inflation, insurance premiums, energy bills, and general overheads. In fact, a 70 per cent failure rate in covering core costs was reported by primary schools over the past year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Irish National Teachers\u2019 Organisation (INTO) has called for a 20 per cent uplift in both the capitation and minor works grants, noting that current levels have barely increased since 2010, despite mounting inflationary pressure.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is no longer acceptable for schools to survive on threadbare capitation grants. Our schools require proper, sustainable investment that not only addresses day\u2011to\u2011day needs but also establishes buffers for unforeseen emergencies and allows for genuine enhancement of teaching and learning resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we are to uphold our commitment to a have a high-quality, equitable education system, government funding must be increased to match actual cost pressures to allow schools to function, innovate and thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n
June 12, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Our primary schools cannot be expected to survive on inadequate capitation grants that don\u2019t come close to meeting rising running costs, according to Social Democrats TD Jen Cummins. Deputy Cummins, who is a TD for Dublin South-Central and the party\u2019s spokesperson on education, said: \u201cAccording to the Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA), a record […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11586,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[218,581,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-jen-cummins","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n