David Norris (Independent)

-----and the total on a full SEC grant is 1,000. How can the Minister square these figures? More than half of the Protestant pupils attending are getting grants because they are poor. This is getting worse. The action of the Government has got rid of secretarial and maintenance grants. Any objective independent analysis will show that this is discriminatory and that as a result of the Government's actions, the Protestant schools are worse off. That is fine, if the State decides it will move in the direction of non-denominational, non-sectarian education throughout the State. I will support it. It is the duty of the parents, not the schools, to produce the ethos. I remind the Minister of State of Article 42.3.1o of the Constitution which states: "The State shall not oblige parents in violation of their conscience and lawful preference to send their children to schools established by the State or to any particular type of school designated by the State". This is what the Department of Education and Science is doing to my community and I object to it. I will support and hope the record of the Adjournment debate in this House will be used to support any constitutional action undertaken to overcome this vicious and discriminatory policy of the Department.