AN INCREASING number of primary schools cannot balance their books, an Oireachtas Committee on Education heard yesterday.
The meeting was told that after receiving all funding available from the Government, primary schools are in debt to the tune of €23,000 on average.
School managers estimate they would require a further €82 million from the Government this year to clear the debts of the 3,000 primary schools in the State.
Msgr Dan O'Connor of the Catholic Primary School Management Association said the situation had arisen because of chronic underfunding by Irish governments from all parties for many years.
"The consequences of the failure by the Government to address the financial needs of primary schools this year has resulted in schools fundraising to cover necessities . . . cutting back on services . . . and patrons assisting schools with loans," he said.
There was a glaring inconsistency in the amount the State allocated in capitation grants for secondary school pupils, which was €331, compared with €178 for primary pupils, despite the fact that costs were almost the same.
He said that one parish in north Dublin had to provide its school with a loan of €28,840 to keep it out of debt during the 2005-2006 term and a further €39,331 during the 2006-2007 school year.
Msgr O'Connor, who was addressing the committee along with six other representatives from the National Mainstream Schools and Special Schools in Ireland, said the doubling of capitation grants for primary cycle pupils would be a start to addressing the issue.
Fine Gael deputy Brian Hayes said Msgr O'Connor had painted a "correct picture" of the situation facing schools at present and had highlighted what he felt was a "crisis issue". He agreed that analysis of the capitation grant programme was required.
Mr Hayes said that the Government had suggested doubling the grant in its lifetime, but queried whether this amount would be sufficient or if it was "a figure pulled from the air".
Sinn Féin senator Pearse Doherty echoed Mr Hayes's sentiments and said that the situation facing primary schools was unacceptable.
"If we are to become leaders in education and if we are to build the knowledge-based economy that this Government talks so much about, then investment must be forthcoming," he said.
Joe Behan, Fianna Fáil, said conditions were improving for primary schools. There were now 26 grants available to them annually, many of which were not there 10 years ago. He claimed the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools scheme had been successful and, although it was not fully adequate, it was helping schools in poorer areas.
Paul Roe of Educate Together schools said the "strategic significance" of primary schools should not be underestimated because the four-year-olds currently being educated will be very important to the State in 20 years time.
He said the doubling of the capitation grant would be key to addressing the poor state of primary school finances.
Mr Roe said that the 44 Educate Together schools faced the necessity of raising €1.5 million this year in order to balance their books.
The meeting also heard that half of Gaelscoileanna remained in temporary accommodation and that many schools were still paying large rents for prefab buildings.
Senator Fidelma Healy-Eames said she was familiar with these problems from her Galway constituency.
Caretakers and Secretaries 'below minimum wage'
A NUMBER of caretakers and secretaries in primary schools are being paid less than the minimum wage due to shortfalls in State funding, an Oireachtas Committee on Education has heard.
Sinn Féin senator Pearse Doherty said some school staff were currently being paid as little as €6.02 an hour, which is less than three-quarters of the minimum wage. He said this was completely unacceptable.
Catholic Primary School Association general secretary Msgr Dan O'Connor said the ancillary grant used to pay such staff fell short of the amounts required.
He said trade unions Siptu and Impact, which represent caretakers and secretaries, were aware that grants were insufficient to cover wages and that some school boards of management had had cases taken against them.
