MINISTER FOR Education Mary Hanafin has said there will be no increase in funding for the State's schools and urged local communities to "rally around" to support them financially. Kilian Doylereports.
An Oireachtas committee heard yesterday that many of Ireland's 3,000 primary schools were struggling to cope financially. It was told the schools were on average €23,000 in debt.
Separately, the Archbishop of Dublin, Most Rev Diarmuid Martin, attacked the Government for what he said was its failure to recognise the contribution of education to the success of Ireland's economy.
Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, Ms Hanafin accepted that some primary schools were experiencing financial difficulties and needed increased funding. "We have recognised in the programme for government that the capitation rates for primary schools should be doubled because, over the years, greater pressures have come on them and, more particularly, communities haven't been able to support their schools in the same way that they have in the past," she said.
"But we also have to accept that there is a tightening economic situation and that there just isn't the same amount of money available this year as there was last year."
Ms Hanafin was speaking before addressing a Catholic Primary School Managers' Association (CPSMA) conference in Dublin. Primary school managers have estimated they need an additional €82 million in State funding to clear the school debts.
"Another €80 million is another 1 per cent on top of the existing budget and at this time, we're just not able to do it," Ms Hanafin said. She agreed that education had played a major part in Ireland's prosperity, but rejected Dr Martin's claim the Government had failed to recognise this by adequately resourcing it.
She said the education budget went up by 8 per cent this year, compared to an increase of 3 per cent in other departments. "I think that shows that the Government will remain committed to education. But again, everything is predicated on the economic situation."
Local communities should "continue . . . to rally around and support their local schools", she said.