Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to outline to the House the position with regard to the pupil-teacher ratio in fee-charging schools. At post-primary level, the State pays the salary of one teacher for every 23 pupils in fee-paying schools, compared with one teacher for every 19 pupils in schools in the free education scheme. A ratio of 18.25 pupils to one teacher applies in DEIS schools.

Currently, 52 of 723 post-primary schools charge fees, ranging from €2,550 to €10,065 for day pupils. Fee-charging schools have the resources, through fees charged, to employ teachers privately, an option which is not available to schools in the free education scheme. A departmental report analysing the tuition income of fee-charging schools which was published last year showed that the schools in question have available to them €81 million in discretionary income which is not available to schools in the free scheme.

I am aware that there are some concerns within the Church of Ireland community about the pupil-teacher ratio affecting fee-charging schools. The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that students from a Protestant or reformed church background can attend a school that reflects their denominational ethos, while at the same time ensuring that funding arrangements are in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. How best to sustain education provision for widely dispersed and small local communities presents a particular challenge, especially in a locality where enrolment is declining to single figures. The Government is intent on fostering pluralism in school provision. Supporting small communities, including minorities, in maintaining their schools forms part of that policy.

With regard to the fee-charging Protestant schools, an arrangement exists whereby funding is provided by the Department to the Secondary Education Committee, SEC, an organisation run by the churches involved in managing the Protestant secondary schools. The SEC then disburses funds to the Protestant fee-charging schools on behalf of pupils who would otherwise have difficulty with the cost of fees and who, in the absence of such financial support, would be unable to attend a second-level school of a reformed church or Protestant ethos. Funding in this regard amounts to €6.5 million annually. This fund ensures that necessitous Protestant children can attend a school of their choice. I can confirm that Minister, Deputy Quinn, and relevant Department officials will continue to engage with the relevant education sector stakeholders, including the Church of Ireland and boards of education, in relation to education provision for all areas.

The budget for education, including the number of teaching posts that we can afford to fund in schools, is a matter that the Minister, with his colleagues in Cabinet, will have to consider in the context of the forthcoming budget. The Government will endeavour to protect front-line education services as best as possible. However, this must be done within the context of bringing our overall public expenditure into line with what we can afford as a country. The challenge will be to ensure that the resources that can be provided are used to maximum effect to achieve the best possible outcome for pupils.

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