Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this important issue on the Adjournment.

When free education was introduced in 1967, it was realised and accepted by all that the minority Protestant population throughout the Republic had the right to have their children educated at a Protestant ethos school. As a result, special arrangements were made to fund the limited number of Protestant schools in such a way that people living in isolated areas could be provided with boarding facilities where necessary and general support to allow them to survive on an equal basis with other public schools. The difference between the funding for these schools and Catholic schools was that Catholic schools were available in most major towns in the country. It is unreal that some 40 years later, the Minister, Deputy O'Keeffe, should use this budget situation to remove the €2.8 million necessary to support this structure or 30% of their support budget.

I am specifically anxious about the future of two such schools in my constituency, the Collegiate School, which has been in Monaghan town since 1570, and the Royal School in Cavan, now celebrating its 400th anniversary. They survived revolutions and two world wars but I wonder if they will survive this Minister.

The Minister has stated the reason he removed this funding and increased the pupil-teacher ratio for Protestant schools as against Catholic schools is because of advice he received from the Attorney General that action might be taken against him by a Catholic school. I believe this is an unreal and unrealistic excuse for him. How was it that no action was taken against any Minister or school over the past 40 years?

The change for either of these schools could mean a reduction in their budget from anywhere between €150,000 and €200,000 in a full calendar year, depending on how the regulations are implemented. Is the Government prepared to offer the children of Cavan-Monaghan access to free education in a school of Protestant ethos? Will the Government undertake that their children will have access to education opportunities that are not diminished because they go to the school of their choice? Does the Minister realise that parents of children attending Protestant ethos schools have to financially support their schools so that they can be taught a diversity of subjects and are not disadvantaged? Why are such parents being punished by the Government?

The two schools I mentioned do not disadvantage pupils on a financial basis and all I am asking is that the problems of such schools are recognised and dealt with. During Question Time, the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, stated: "I am well aware it will cause serious difficulties and I obviously have concerns about this." He also stated at a later stage: "I recognise the special position of the Protestant schools." However, he continued to argue that he was under pressure from the Attorney General and that the block grant which they were getting should be sufficient.

However, as pointed out by Deputy Ruairí Quinn, the issue is much deeper than just one of education, although it manifests itself in education for historic reasons with which we are all familiar. The Government's decision is really an attack on the principle of diversity within the Republic and the Minister is undermining a principle which we cherish in the South. I fully endorse the comments made by Deputy Quinn.

The Minister's attempt to rewrite history by suggesting that the only commitment was to pay a block grant is not true. The commitment was to treat Protestant schools in the same way as schools going into the free scheme. Forty years later, this is the first-ever breach of that commitment. In fact, it was similar to a commitment given to the Protestant community at the foundation of the State that they would be able to choose a school which reflected their faith and ethos. Even in the mid-1980s under former Taoiseach, Charles J. Haughey, the then Government gave a special fixed 5% interest rate loan to rural-based Protestant boarding schools towards boarding provisions and other repairs and there was no word from the Attorney General. The sum of money under consideration is small and the situation must be rectified. Who were the people who advised the Minister? Did they have a score to settle?

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