Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Should we be talking about a book lending scheme or getting the intellectual copyright of a lot of the stuff to download it for free to whatever device a student uses?We are in a Gutenberg moment where devices will change.

Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked me other questions about fee-paying schools. The free voluntary scheme is what it says on the tin. All second level schools charged fees up until 1966 or 1967. Donogh O'Malley introduced a scheme whereby voluntary schools could not be compelled to opt into the system - I am talking about 730 post primary schools in total. The scheme also provided that the fees would be eliminated and that the Government would pay a capitation grant in lieu. At the time 56 schools stayed out of the system. At the moment we have 56 fee-paying schools, 22 of which are under the patronage of the reformed church and Protestant community. As the Deputy mentioned, we have asked them to provide an account and, speaking from memory, the figure that the schools receive collectively is of the order of €120 million. We have asked them to give us an account of what they do with that money. We are analysing a significant number of their responses but we have not received them all. Such analysis will inform my response when deciding the budget for the scheme.