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

Deputy Hayes asked me if I would meet the Protestant bishops. I have agreed to meet with them and a date has been arranged for a meeting. I hope it will take place within the next two weeks.

I wish to clarify a matter which I think is important. The free education scheme was introduced in 1967 to facilitate the provision of second level education for all young people. Prior to that, all voluntary schools recognised by the Department and subject to its regulations were paid grants. With the introduction of the free education scheme, the majority of schools agreed to discontinue charging fees and were compensated by enhanced capitation grants. In 1986, the capitation grant was withdrawn from Catholic fee-charging schools for budgetary reasons. Catholic fee-charging second level schools do not receive the per capita grant or the schools services support grant in respect of their students, nor do they receive the various other curricular grants for current expenditure supports to which schools in the free education scheme are entitled. Some fee-charging schools are in receipt of secretarial support under the terms of the scheme.

I remind the Deputy that, first, there is a legal impediment. If a case is taken by one of the Catholic schools——

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