Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I will try to get whatever further information I can for the Deputy in terms of what numbers are being examined at present. It is not correct to suggest there is a preference with respect to types of schools. Since 2001 all primary and post-primary schools providing education based on a programme prescribed and approved by the Minister for Education and Science automatically qualify as approved bodies for the purposes of the donations scheme. As the Deputy knows, there are approximately 4,000 such schools in the State. The matter of whether they are fee-paying schools is not a consideration.

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