Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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Tá ról lárnach ag scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge i gcur chun cinn na teanga dóibh siúd nach bhfuil Gaeilge labhairt acu sa bhaile agus, ansin, i gceantair Ghaeltachta dóibh siúd a bhfuil an Ghaeilge á labhairt acu sa bhaile. Tugann sé deis do scoláirí a gcuid oideachais a fháil ina dteanga dhúchais.

Tá tábhacht ag baint leis seo i gcomhair chaomhnú na teanga agus tá sé tábhachtach go bhfaigheadh na scoileanna seo tacaíocht ón Roinn Oideachais agus ón Aire Oideachais chun é seo a dhéanamh. Ní fhaigheann scoileanna education and training board, ETB, an chabhair chéanna is a fhaigheann scoileanna deonacha agus ní thuigim cén fáth sin. Tá liúntas ann. Deontas dátheangach a thugtar air a fhaigheann na scoileanna deonacha agus nach bhfaigheann na scoileanna ETB. €110.50 in aghaidh an scoláire atá i gceist leis an liúntas seo agus ní dhéanann sé ciall ar bith dom an fáth nach bhfaigheann na scoileanna ETB an chabhair chéanna, cé gur scoileanna Gaeltachta scoileanna ETB den chuid is mó agus scoileanna a bhfuil tacaíocht sa bhreis ag teastáil uathu, má táimid dáiríre faoi chaomhnú na Gaeilge. Tuigim gur scoileanna DEIS iad na scoileanna Gaeltachta den chuid is mó, agus mar sin tá siad aitheanta mar scoileanna atá faoi mhíbhuntáiste, dár leis an Aire Oideachais í féin agus dár le Roinn an Aire Stáit.

Tá a fhios agam freisin gur scoileanna iolsainchreidmheacha na scoileanna ETB agus gur scoileanna Caitliceacha iad na scoileanna deonacha. Ní thuigim an fáth nach bhfuil na scoileanna seo ag fáil an chabhair chéanna is atá scoileanna atá ag múineadh trí mheán na Gaeilge ach gur scoileanna deonacha iad.

Ní rud nua é seo. Tá sé seo ag tarlú le 30 bliain anuas agus tá sé thar am go ndéanfaí rud éigin faoi. Ní thuigim an fáth go bhfuil scoileanna Gaeltachta á gcur in áit na leathphingine.

I am a great believer in the importance of Irish-medium education. For loads of people like me, who did not have the opportunity to learn Irish at home, it is where we learned our language and so many other people have the same experience with Irish-medium education. It also has a very important role for those people who do speak Irish at home, who may live in the Gaeltacht or come from Irish-speaking households, because it gives them the opportunity to be educated through their native language. For the past 30 years, however, there has, unfortunately, been a difference between the way ETB Irish-medium secondary schools and voluntary schools are being treated. The difference relates to the bilingual grant of €110.50 per pupil, which goes to voluntary schools and not to ETB schools, despite most Gaeltacht schools being ETB schools.

As the Minister of State will know, to preserve the language, it is vital we support Gaeltacht schools. Moreover, the Department has acknowledged these schools need more assistance, because a lot of them are in DEIS areas. As a result, they are clearly more disadvantaged, and as well as that, ETB schools are multi-denominational, whereas a lot of voluntary schools are Catholic run. I do not understand why Gaeltacht schools in this case are being left in the ha'penny place. This has been ongoing for 30 years and it is quite an easy and straightforward change the Government, the Minister of State and the Department can make.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to address the funding of schools in the ETB and voluntary secondary school sectors. The Department has different models of funding to meet the needs of the different types of post-primary school, including those in the Irish-medium sector. The funding arrangements made by the Department for voluntary secondary, community and comprehensive and ETB schools and colleges reflect the different management and ownership arrangements that apply to schools at post-primary level.

Voluntary secondary schools in the free education scheme, which are privately owned and managed, are funded by the Department by way of per capitagrants. An additional per capitagrant, known as the Irish and bilingual grant, is paid to secondary schools in the voluntary sector in which instruction is through the medium of Irish in full or in part. Such a grant is not paid to schools in either the community and comprehensive or the ETB sectors. Instead, the arrangements that apply in the ETB sector are that financial allocations are made to ETBs as part of a block grant. ETBs are given a high level of autonomy in the management and appropriation of this grant and each ETB has the autonomy to distribute its allocations in line with its own priorities and needs. As such, funding is allocated not to individual schools but to the ETB itself for allocation among the schools within its remit. The block grant model covers not only the day-to-day costs of schools but also the running costs of the ETB head office and other activities apart from the second level programme. This approach differs from the capitation grants provided to voluntary secondary schools.

In the context of Irish-medium education, work on the development of a new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht is under way in the Department. This policy will sit within the overall framework of the 20-year strategy for the Irish language and build on the achievements of the policy on Gaeltacht education. The policy will be an important step towards achieving the programme for Government commitments on Irish in the education system. The key objectives of the policy are in accordance with the 20-year strategy for the Irish language and include the provision of a framework for the delivery of high-quality Irish-medium education in settings outside of the Gaeltacht. An extensive public consultation process has been conducted to gather the views of stakeholders, including young people, parents, education professionals, education stakeholders and Irish-language organisations, and a wide range of issues have been raised. This has included funding of Irish-medium schools, among other topics. The issues raised in that consultation are being considered by officials in the Department as part of the work on the development of the policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht.

I heard what the Deputy said about the grant of €110.50, which goes to voluntary but not ETB schools, and she pointed to the fact most Gaeltacht schools are run by ETBs. I also heard what she said about the fact a lot of them are multidenominational and are located in disadvantaged DEIS areas. As I explained, however, it is part of a block grant, that is, a very different funding model, and is not the capitation grant provided to voluntary secondary schools. The funding is allocated not to individual schools but to the ETB itself for allocation among the schools within its remit. That block grant model covers not only the day-to-day costs of schools but also the running costs of the ETB head office and other activities apart from the second level programme.

Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Tá eolas agam anseo faoin gcineál maoinithe atá á fháil ag education and training boards, ETB-anna, i gcomparáid leis na scoileanna deonacha. Má bhreathnaímid ar an capitation standard rate, mar a thugtar air, tá difríocht ann. Tá €276 ag na scoileanna ETB agus tá €316 á fháil ag na scoileanna deonacha. Is rud eile é sin ón méid a bhí mé ag labhairt faoi maidir leis an €110.50.

Ansin tá siad ag fáil an €110.50, méid nach bhfuil na scoileanna ETB ag fáil mar go bhfuil deontas eile ar a dtugtar support services grant ann. Faigheann na scoileanna ETB €99 agus faigheann na scoileanna deonacha €224.50.

Ansin, tá liúntas eile agus is é sin liúntas dátheangach nuair atá suas go dtí ceithre ábhar á ndéanamh trí mheán na Gaeilge. Is é sin €22 mar rud amháin a fhaigheann na scoileanna deonacha agus nach bhfaigheann na scoileanna ETB. Tá go leor difríochta ansin, insím don Aire Stáit.

Cloisim go bhfuil an tAire Stáit ag breathnú ar pholasaí do scoileanna Gaeilge taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht ach sílim go gcaithfidh sí breathnú air seo nuair a bheidh sí ag breathnú air sin agus na scoileanna Gaeltachta a chlúdach ansin freisin.

I hear what the Minister of State is saying, but I am looking at the figures that have been provided to me. The capitation standard rate for ETB schools is €206, whereas for voluntary schools it is €316. Likewise, the support services grant is €99 and €224.50, respectively. There is also the €110.50 grant, or €22 per pupil per subject up to a maximum of four subjects taught through Irish.

At this point, these schools are being left in the ha'penny place. They are clearly crying out for this support. They have been raising this over recent years and it should be looked at.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate there are differences in the funding and models of funding among the different types of schools, but it would be erroneous to say ETB schools do not receive funding. Rather, it is a different type of funding scheme. Voluntary secondary schools receive capitation funding but it is a block grant that goes to ETBs, and they are given a high level of autonomy in the management and appropriation of that grant, so it is a very different type of funding. We are satisfied they are able to deal with and manage their priorities and needs within that funding.