> School Grants 2024/2025 Guideline
2024/2025 Grants payable to Community & Comprehensive Schools
The timelines of payments indicated below are subject to change.
From the 1st September 2024 the rate is €276.00 per pupil. The non-pay grant is designed to cover normal school running costs.
There is a 25% deduction to the Non-Pay Grant for PPP schools.
The non-pay budget also includes a provision of €10,000, plus an additional capitation grant of €6.00 per pupil under the heading of Minor Works of a Capital Nature.
Minor Works Grant is not payable to PPP schools.
The grant is paid in four instalments: January, April, July and October.
N.B. January and April payments are calculated based on 90% of the previous year budget divided by four with one quarter paid in January & one quarter paid in April. Full adjustment for the current year enrolment is applied to the July and October payments which is paid in two equal amounts.
This grant is designed to cover the cost of staffing allocations approved by the Department. The grant is based on the sanctioned staff numbers and salary based on Department approved salary scales. Schools Division Financial should be notified of all changes to sanctioned staff. It should also be noted that approval must be sought for all new sanctioned staff from Schools Division Financial.
Contributory pension scheme for full-time non-teaching employees:
A deduction corresponding to the annual total of such pension contributions is made by the Department from the individual school grant, this started in 2021.See Appendix 2 of Financial Guideline 2023/2024-21 for further details.
There is no Departmental sanction given for Caretakers and Cleaners in PPP schools. The grant is paid in four instalments: January, April, July and October.
N.B. January and April payments are calculated based on 90% of the previous year budget divided by four with one quarter paid in January & one quarter paid in April. Full adjustment for the current year census is applied to the July and October payments and a deduction is made for the prior year’s employees annual pension contributions. It is paid in two equal instalments. See Financial Guideline 2023/2024-21 for further details.
(DEIS Schools only): Schools included in the School Support Programme under DEIS receive a grant which is based on the level of concentrated disadvantage in each school and the school’s enrolment. Queries in relation to the DEIS grant should be directed to Social Inclusion Unit in the Department.
Please note: The Schools Services Support Fund Grant is subject to changes as a result from modifications to funding outlined in Circular 36/2022 “Revision of Salaries and Annual Leave arrangements for School Secretaries employed in recognised primary and post primary schools”, or as a result of government budgetary changes. These changes have not yet been finalised by the Department of Education.
€122.50 per pupil for 2024 payable in three instalments in November, March and June. The minimum grant payable for 2024 is based on 200 pupils and thereafter according to enrolments. There is a 25% deduction of the SSSF Grant applied to PPP schools.
School secretaries employed in approved posts funded by monies provided by the Oireachtas and who are covered by the terms of the 2022 Workplace Relation Commission (WRC) agreement and the terms of Circular 0036/2022: Work is ongoing to identify a method of standardizing the reduction to the support services grants for the longer term where school secretaries are being paid on the Department payroll.
For the purpose of preparing the school budget for the school year 2024/2025 where a school secretary has moved to the Department of Education payroll, we have based the calculation of the grants on the arrangements as set out in the letter to schools from the Department of Education 20th December 2023.
These schools will have the support services grant due reduced to reflect the fact that schools are no longer paying these staff directly.
- Grant: Support Services Grant (SSSF) Grant
- Less: Annual grant funded salary plus Employers PRSI
The capitation grants for PLC pupils are now paid by Solas and not the Department of Education (DE). They are paid at the same rate as the DE grants.
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- Non-Pay Grant: €276.00 per pupil
- Minor work Grant: €6.00 per pupil
- School Services Support Fund: €122.50 per pupil
- PLC additional per capita: €91 per pupil
There is a 25% deduction to the PLC allocation for PPP schools.
> See Guideline on the Cost of Living Grant
Full Cost of Living Grant per-capita rates for post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme | |
Grant Type | Rate |
Standard Grant | €55.00 |
Special Class Grant | €36.00 |
Traveller Grant | €39.00 |
Programme Grants
- Leaving Certificate Applied Grant: €151 per pupil in LCA. This is based on pupil enrolment in 5th and 6th year of LCA programme
- Junior Certificate Schools Programme: €60 per pupil in First Year JCSP
- Transition Year Grant: €95 per pupil in Transition Year
- Physics and Chemistry: €13 per pupil taking Physics and/or Chemistry in 5th and 6th
Existing Book Grant Scheme under Circular 0046/2013: for pupils enrolled in senior cycle years in the 2024/25 school year, €24 per pupil in non-DEIS schools and €39 per pupil in DEIS schools.
New Free Schoolbooks Grant and Administration Support Grant: for pupils enrolled in junior cycle years in the 2024/2025 school year, €309 per pupil. An administration support grant of €160.62, plus an additional 11.05% (to cover employer PRSI) will be provided. The number of days allocated are based on the enrolment size of the school and are as follows;
Size of School (Junior Cycle enrolment September 2023) |
No of Days |
0-300 | 10 |
301-600 | 13 |
601-900 | 16 |
Guidance on accounting for the scheme can be found here.
Special Class Grant: A grant of €201.00 per pupil, is payable in respect of pupils psychologically assessed as having a mild or moderate learning disability and who participate in NCSE approved special classes.
Traveller Pupils Grant: A grant of €213.50 is payable for each Traveller pupil.
Supervision/Substitution Scheme Funding: Where a teacher has opted out of Supervision and Substitution Scheme, an amount equivalent to the supervision and substitution allowance has been allocated to the teacher’s school for the provision of supervision and substitution duties. This grant cannot be used to pay full-time teachers or teachers who have opted out of the Scheme for supervision and substitution on a casual/non-pensionable basis.
The school will receive €1,769 per annum for teachers employed pre-1 January 2011and €1,592 for teachers employed post- 31st December 2010 who opted out of the scheme.
12. Capital Grants: With prior trustee approval, the board of management may seek capital funding from the Department of Education under the following categories:
- Major Projects
- Additional Accommodation
- Emergency Works (See Circular 0068/2020)
- Remediation Programmes
- Summer Works Scheme
Application forms for Major Capital Works (Form SLE) and Additional Accommodation (Form ASA) should be downloaded by clicking here.
Post-primary schools requiring emergency works to be undertaken must apply under this scheme by completing the online Emergency Works Application Form available through the Esinet system under the tab labelled ‘Devolved Projects’.
Calculation of grants: You can calculate your expected grant income for the school year using the FSSU budget templates. to download a template.