Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

It was with no great relish that the grant was taken away. I appreciate that it will cause difficulties for some Protestant schools. I realise there are 21 Protestant fee-paying schools and I also realise that the existing block grant is quite substantial. A capitation grant of €39.36 is paid to 94% of pupils. A tuition grant of €274 per pupil is paid to 94% of pupils. The tuition fee for pupils who board is €15.36 per pupil. I am maintaining that grant, which is a significant one.

Catholic fee-paying schools do not avail of a similar capitation grant but we have adhered to the agreement that was reached in the time of Donogh O'Malley on the block grant. A 90% grant is available to Protestant schools for the school building programme but an ad hoc arrangement applies to Catholic fee-paying schools. Sometimes not even 50% of the building costs of Catholic fee-paying schools are covered. In withdrawing the grants, we are bringing Protestant fee-paying schools into line with Catholic fee-paying schools. Legal advice from the Attorney General's office suggests that we could find it extremely difficult to defend the continuation of those grants.

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