Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 110: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on the call from the Teachers Union of Ireland for a review of State financial support for fee-paying schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21606/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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It is important to take account of the historical context that gave rise to the differentiation between fee-paying and non fee-paying secondary schools. This differentiation arises essentially from the arrangements put in place when free second level education was introduced and those arrangements took account specifically of the position of minority religions with dispersed membership, through the creation of the block grant.

There are currently 56 fee-charging second level schools in the country, of which 21 are Protestant, two inter-denominational, one Jewish and the remainder Catholic. Fee-charging schools, with the exception of the Protestant and Jewish fee-charging schools for which special arrangements apply, do not receive capitation or related supports. I have already referred to the block grant, by way of which Protestant fee-charging schools receive funding. The block grant has its origins in the desire of the State to enable students of the Protestant and Jewish persuasions to attend schools which reflect their denominational ethos, and it includes payments in respect of capitation. In addition, Protestant and Jewish fee-charging schools are eligible for payment of such grants as the transition year support grant, the secretarial grant and caretaking grant.

Teachers in fee-charging schools are paid by the State, irrespective of a school's religious ethos. The payment of teachers' salaries is part of a complex scheme of funding for fee-charging schools, which has traditionally sought to balance considerations of equity, pragmatism and State support for minority religions. This may well reflect a long-standing pragmatism that the State would be required to provide teachers for the pupils in question were they located within the free education scheme.

Minority religion schools also receive capital funding for building projects and have done so under successive Governments on the same basis as other secondary schools, while approximately 50% of capital costs for Catholic fee-charging schools building projects are met by the State. However, school building projects, whether for fee charging schools or schools in the free education sector, are selected for inclusion on the basis of priority of need. In that regard the Deputy should note that the proportion of the school building programme spent in fee-charging schools in recent years has been extremely small.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

It would be inappropriate for the State to depart in any fundamental way from the original intent that allowed some schools to opt to remain outside the "free scheme" and continue to charge fees and therefore I do not propose to carry out any review to that end. This support has been a long standing feature of our education system and one continued by successive Governments.

However, it is important to take stock at this point. While continuing to give reasonable support to existing schools, there should be no further development of the sector and accordingly I do not intend to provide state funding for any new fee paying schools.

As with all public expenditure measures I will keep the funding arrangements for the schools concerned under review to ensure that they remain consistent with their original policy basis.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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We have time for only one supplementary question.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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In the light of the complex history which has been correctly described, has the Minister plans to review whether the original objectives, which gave rise to it, have been achieved?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Given the nature of fee-paying schools, I do not believe any one policy can apply to them. We must ensure, for example, to continue to protect the minority religions and that is reflected in the way fee-paying schools are funded. I hold the strong view that no new fee paying school will be supported by the State. In the event of a body offering to set up a voluntary secondary school, I would not support any change in the system.

From anecdotal accounts one would get the impression that there has been a major increase in the numbers attending fee-paying schools, but that is not the case. In the 2006-2007 school year, there were 26,373 pupils in private schools, whereas ten years ago there were 24,200. The largest increase in pupil numbers has been in Protestant schools.

It is important we continue to support fee-paying schools on the basis of their history and minority religions, but I will not support any new schools setting up.