Quinn told schools could have no heat

EDUCATION Minister Ruairi Quinn has cut budgets for the running of schools despite concerns that just half the planned cut could leave them unable to fund insurance or heating.

In its submission in September to Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Brendan Howlin’s comprehensive review of expenditure, the Department of Education outlined potential savings across its entire non-capital budget of almost €8.5 billion.

Among those announced in the budget on Monday was a 2% cut in capitation grants to all 4,000 primary and second-level schools in 2012 and again in 2013, with a further 1% drop in each of the following two years. The funding is based on the number of pupils in each school and was already cut by 5% this year.