Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 5:

In page 9, between lines 16 and 17, to insert the following:"8. The Minister shall report to the Houses of the Oireachtas on an annual basis on the use and extent of voluntary contributions by schools with a view to phasing them out.".

This matter has nothing to do with the Bill, but that it is a miscellaneous provisions Bill has given us the opportunity to table an amendment on the issue. We drafted legislation on voluntary contributions. Due to the rule on incurring costs to the Exchequer, we were, unfortunately, unable to publish it. We have taken this opportunity to try to get the issue on the agenda.

I am sure that the Minister of State is well aware that the issue of voluntary contributions is financially off-putting for many parents. They find it difficult to match voluntary contributions. By their nature, the contributions are meant to be voluntary, but the reality is that the impression given by schools is that there is an onus on parents to pay them. There are no accounting procedures for schools that take voluntary contributions. Some schools in my constituency have 500 pupils, all of whose parents pay in excess of €100, but no one knows whether the money is being used to pay bills, buy equipment or so on. My amendments are meant to give some structure to the situation. I know that the Minister of State will not accept them, but the Government must examine the issue. If schools are taking voluntary contributions, it is important that the parents paying them have some idea what the money is being used for.