Mr. Seán Ó Foghlú:

Yes, when the school decides to come in, it is not simply a matter of us agreeing. There is a need for us to assure ourselves on behalf of the State that there is a need for the school, in particular having regard to denominational issues. It just so happens that the two schools that have come into the free scheme are Protestant schools serving widely dispersed populations, so while the issue has not arisen, it does arise. We are conscious that the savings measures we have introduced have the potential to be offset somewhat if some schools decide to come into the free scheme. The offsetting would not arise to any extent yet.

We also undertook an analysis of what schools effectively spend their fees on and the income available to them. The outcome of the analysis is to be published by the Minister in the near future.