Hanafin outlines education budget

The Government is to hire an additional 1,200 teachers and over 900 special-needs staff next year, it was announced today.

The Department of Education's annual spend is to rise by some 8 per cent - or €690 million - next year to over €9.3 billion following yesterday's Budget.

Minister for Education Mary Hanafin said today the increase will enable her department to "consolidate the major service improvements that have been put in place in recent years and to make further progress in a wide range of areas".

Education Minister Mary Hanafin

Capital investment in schools will reach nearly €830 million in 2008, with €390 million of that total earmarked for primary school buildings.

Ms Hanafin said work on 200 construction projects will be completed next year, providing a further 8,000 school places. Another 350 projects will continue or begin next year or early in 2009, which, when completed, will provide another 12,000 school places, she added.

The Minister said details of which building projects are to begin first will be announced next month.

"While there will continue to be a focus next year on providing extra places in developing areas, we will also be delivering improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary school accommodation throughout the country," Ms Hanafin said.

"The emphasis, however will be on new schools, extensions and major refurbishments, rather than on smaller projects."

A further €190 million will be provided to help improve facilities in higher education colleges.

Ms Hanafin said the budget for current spending, most of which is made up of pay for the education system's 90,000 staff, will be €8.5 billion next year. She said around 1,100 extra primary and post-primary teachers have been employed over the past year. "We are also planning for about 1,200 more for the 2008/09 year," she said.

The Minister said €900 million will be spent providing education for those with special needs. She said an extra 900 special-needs staff will be provided next year, and that 35 extra staff will be recruited for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), bringing the number of NEPS psychologists from 134 to 169.

A total of €800 million has been earmarked for measures aimed at tackling educational disadvantage.

Primary and senior school principals are also to receive increases in capitation grants to cover the cost of running the schools. There will be an increase in the charges payable by students for school transport. The current charges have not changed since 1998.

Primary pupils will pay a maximum of €46 per term, while post-primary pupils will pay €71. A maximum family charge of €150 per term will be introduced. Primary pupils who are entitled to school transport due to the distance to their nearest school will still not have to pay for it. Post-primary students from families with medical cards will also continue to be exempt from charges.

Ms Hanafin said that even with the increases, the charges will still only cover about 5 per cent of the cost of school transport services.