Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy Charles Flanagan's remarks. We are discussing this item as a Topical Issue because on Sunday evening a Minister went on television and stated the Government was considering removing the subvention for teachers who taught in fee-paying schools. I welcome all debates, discussions and comments from all sides on any matter to do with the budget. We should have an open budgetary process, about which I have been speaking for a number of weeks. My question for the Minister, whom I thank for being here, is whether it is true that the Government is considering this option. If so, let us have a full and informed debate on it and look at all the facts such as that while a €100 million subvention is paid to fee-paying schools to pay for the salaries of teachers, there is a saving to the State to the tune of €93 million, as it is €3,500 cheaper for it to have a child taught in a fee-paying school. This is something that must be recognised when we debate this issue. If we are trying to save money for the taxpayer, let us look at the actual saving to the State. If we are to have a debate on the education budget, let us look at all aspects of it. Let us look at the €63 million that will be paid next year in increments to teachers in schools, at the €50 million paid to teachers in primary schools for yard duty and at the options facing us in order that we can have a proper and informed debate on the matters that we need to discuss and the cuts that must be made in the forthcoming budget. If the issue raised is not being considered, I put it to the Minister that this is an indication that a Minister is able to fly a kite on a particular issue, yet new Government Deputies are being shut out of the process completely. Does he agree that we should be trying to open up the budgetary process to broader debate in the Dáil and among the public in order that people will not be misinformed about what the Government is thinking?

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