Funds for maintaining schools are delayed
However, parents and teachers have demanded that the Department of Education come up with the money most schools get between €4,000 and €10,000 before the summer holidays.
Part of the Grant for Minor Works, also known as the devolved grant, is due next week but schools will be struggling to budget for work which should be done during holiday months, according to the INTO.
Each school receives the standard €3,800 around Christmas and €12.70 for each pupil shortly afterwards. However, in January, Education Minister Noel Dempsey announced a review of the way the money is paid.
INTO general secretary John Carr demanded the full grant be paid to schools before they close for the summer.
"This is the time when most repair work is done and it is neither fair nor practical to expect them to undertake this work without knowing that the money is in the bank," he said.
"We have no objection to a review but this should not involve schools having to wait for desperately-needed funding," Mr Carr added.
The department said the capitation element will be paid to primary schools before the end of next week.
"The review is ongoing and is due to be completed in August, but the per-pupil amount will be paid before the end of May," a department spokesperson.
Despite concerns that the additional money might be cut, the department stressed that €18.5 million the same as last year has been set aside.
Parents group Tuismitheoirí le Chéile, set up this year to campaign on the state of primary schools, said work cannot be done without the money.
"Hundreds of schools are in terrible disrepair and need this funding to keep the school standing until they eventually get a new building or refurbishment," said TLC spokesperson Florence Horsman-Hogan.
Fine Gael education spokesperson Olwyn Enright said even if money is received before the summer, it would not be enough to do any substantial work.
"Many of these are schools have major structural problems, depending on money to do basic stuff during the holidays.
"The schools were expecting this money almost six months ago and they should be entitled to have it on time," she said.
