The programme for Government commits to increasing capitation funding to schools to ensure that schools can meet elevated day-to-day running costs and reduce the financial burden on families. A school in my constituency was forced to consider closing from April and moving to online learning. It is not the only school in the area experiencing huge challenges in meeting its day-to-day running costs. Sacred Heart Junior National School has received advanced funding in order that it can stay open until the end of the school year. Both parents and staff are worried about the impact this will have on funding for next year. Does the Tánaiste know of any other schools in the same boat? Does he share my concern that the current capitation system is not fit for purpose? Will he guarantee or give a commitment that no school will have to close and move to online learning due to a lack of funding?

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. We can all agree that we want to see our schools fully funded and supported. I welcome the Department of Education’s intervention to advance funding to Sacred Heart Junior National School. My understanding is there has been quite a lot of engagement between the school and the Department going back a number of months. The Deputy is right, however, that this highlights the need to get to a point where we can increase capitation grants to provide that certainty. While I will ask the Minister for Education, Deputy McEntee, to come back to the Deputy on the specifics on some of those questions he asked, I am pleased that Sacred Heart Junior National School has made that progress. I know it wants to move to more certainty than just a bit of advanced funding.