KENNY WELCOMES MOVE ON DUBLIN NORTH EAST DEIS PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Posted on February 21, 2012 4:57 PM   |   Permanent Link   

Dublin North East Labour TD Sean Kenny today welcomed the publishing of the report today by Minister Quinn on changes to DEIS Band 1 & 2 primary schools.

"In January, Minister Quinn, on foot of concerns that had been expressed to him by myself and other Labour TDs, directed his Department to prepare a report, examining the impact of the withdrawal of these posts from DEIS Band 1 & 2 primary schools. On foot of the analysis, the Government has now agreed to retain a total of 235 posts, on a concessionary basis, in DEIS Band 1 and DEIS Band 2 primary schools."

"Given the situation the economy is in, cuts do have to be made elsewhere in the primary school budget to make up for the costs incurred by the retention of these 235 posts in DEIS Band 1 and DEIS Band 2 schools. The budget measures announced in December included a reduction in overall capitation funding for primary schools of 2% in 2012 and a further overall reduction of 2% to be applied in 2013. The financial impact in 2012 of the retention of the 235 posts in primary schools will be met by bringing forward to this year part of the reduction in overall capitation funding originally scheduled for 2013."

This means that the reduction in overall capitation funding in 2012 will now be 3.5% and will occur through an additional reduction in the basic capitation grant rate. This rate was reduced to €183 per capita and will now be reduced by a further €5 to €178 applicable to all payments from January 2012.

"This is particularly welcome news for the DEIS schools in the Darndale, Priorswood and Bonnybrook areas in Dublin North East. If Labour were not in Government these changes would not have happened as Labour deputies would have had no say in the matter. The fact is that Minister Quinn stopped what he was planning to do and revised it. The changes implemented by Minster Quinn show that he is willing to listen to concerns expressed to him by parents, teachers and the community and to take these views on board."