Education: The Minister for Education and Science, Ms Hanafin, secured the second-largest increase of any Department in the Estimates. Seán Flynn, Education Editor.
The new Minister secured a 9 per cent increase, bringing education spending to over €6.8 billion.
In a reversal of the pattern evident under her predecessor, third-level won the largest increase (9 per cent), with second-level up by 8 per cent and primary level up by 7 per cent.
The Estimates have received a generally positive response from the powerful Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO).
However, the universities expressed disappointment with an increase in current spending, excluding research, of just 6 per cent. The university heads claimed this represented an effective cut in spending when the recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report urged a "quantum leap" in funding to allow Irish colleges to compete internationally.
Ms Hanafin signalled last night that more funding could be channelled through a new reform fund. This could reward colleges which implement the performance-led agenda of the OECD.
Three Irish universities, UCC, UCD and Trinity, have already begun radical reform measures to cut costs and boost performance.
Ms Hanafin secured an additional €47.6 million for the educationally disadvantaged, bringing total spending to €462 million. This will target areas such as literacy, early childhood education and the alarming dropout level among 15-year-olds in second-level schools. A 20 per cent increase in funding has also been allocated to the new National Education Welfare Board, the group which tracks school attendance.
Spending on special needs will rise by 12 per cent to €628 million. This will go towards additional special needs assistants and other services.
The UCD president, Dr Hugh Brady, expressed strong disappointment with the Estimates. "Instead of the deep investment called for by the OECD report we are left floundering in both financial and morale terms," he said.
The UCC president, Prof Gerry Wrixon, was also dismayed. Speaking on behalf of all seven university chiefs, he said the Estimates will mean "more cutbacks in quantity and quality of services, and deficits incurred by the universities. The further degradation of services will worsen Irish universities' already mediocre international standing and competitiveness".
The council of directors of the Institutes of Technology said the increase will barely allow existing activities to continue.
At primary level, INTO general secretary Mr John Carr said the increases in special education and educational disadvantage are particularly significant. "These were two of the INTO's key priorities in its pre-Budget submission. The INTO will seek immediate talks to ensure that the increased funding has maximum impact in early childhood education and targeting literacy difficulties. These talks must include the need for smaller classes in primary schools," he said. The Association of Secondary Teachers' Ireland welcomed the €12 increase in capitation but said schools will still struggle to meet day-to-day running costs. "The latest OECD figures show that Ireland comes 20th out of 26 countries when it comes to funding per second-level student," said Mr John White, acting general secretary. Teachers' Union of Ireland president Mr Paddy Healy said the increase was inadequate to remedy past neglect.