Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I understand Deputy Crawford wishes to share time with Deputy Dinny McGinley.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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?

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Acting Chairman and Deputy Crawford and I agree with the case he has made for Protestant schools. There is one such school in my constituency, namely, the Royal and Prior Protestant school in Raphoe. It provides secondary education for the Protestant community in County Donegal and has been successfully doing so for many years. The school is an amalgamation of two schools, including the Royal, which has a history going back 400 years since its foundation by royal charter by King James I in 1608.

The school has an enrolment of approximately 500 pupils, which includes 30 or 40 boarders. It is most concerned at the negative impact of educational cuts, particularly the increase in the pupil-teacher ratio and the new regulation concerning the employment of substitute teachers. If the proposed cuts are implemented, the school will lose at least two teachers and this will have a negative impact on the number of subjects taught in the school and also the conducting of extra-curricular activities such as essential field trips for subjects such as geography.

The Royal and Prior is a unique school providing the secondary educational needs of a religious minority within Donegal. In view of its special role, I appeal to the Minister to exempt it from any cutbacks that would adversely affect its long and proud tradition of providing the highest standards of education, learning and citizenship, as it has done in Donegal for so many centuries.

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am pleased to be given the opportunity to clarify for the House the position in regard to the withdrawal of certain grants from Protestant fee-paying schools. The 2009 budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. Decisions were made in order to control expenditure and ensure sustainability in the long term. In this respect, education, while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure, could not be entirely spared. The Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, acknowledges the impact of funding restrictions in a number of areas, including at school level. However, these are the inevitable result of the challenging international economic environment and the need to manage Exchequer resources.

With regard to the removal of certain support services grants received by Protestant fee-charging schools, the Minister wishes to re-emphasise that the Protestant block grant remains in place. Protestant fee-charging schools receive, and will continue to receive, this grant, which amounts to €6.25 million in the current school year. This payment covers capitation, tuition and boarding grants. It is distributed by the Secondary Education Committee among needier Protestant children. Applications are made by parents to the central Protestant churches authority, which, on the basis of a means test, distributes the funds to individual schools on the basis of pupil needs.

The retention of this grant demonstrates the importance that the Minister, Deputy O'Keeffe, and the Government continue to attach to ensuring that students of the Protestant faith can attend schools that reflect their denominational ethos. In retaining this grant, the Government is being faithful to the separate arrangements that were agreed with the Protestant schools when the free scheme was introduced by Donogh O'Malley. At the time, it was the payment of the block grant in particular for Protestant fee-charging schools that distinguished them from those Catholic schools that chose to continue to charge fees.

It is estimated that savings of €2.8 million will accrue to the Department as a result of the withdrawal of certain support services grants from Protestant fee-charging schools in 2009. It is important to note that the purpose of these grants was not to offset fees for disadvantaged Protestant students. Rather, they covered a range of support services. The Minister has had to take decisions on a number of grants that have impacted on the funding of schools generally. With the Protestant block grant remaining in place, the Minister can see no justification for treating the Protestant fee-charging schools in a special way, particularly given that Catholic fee-charging schools have not been in receipt of the grants in question.

I again thank the Deputies for providing me with the opportunity to address the House on this matter and to outline the current position.