Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this issue, which was brought to my attention by parents and teachers and which has been commented on publicly by both Church of Ireland and Catholic clergy. The many fine Protestant schools in Cork, including Ashton School, St. Luke's national school, St. Michael's national school in Blackrock, St. Fin Barre's national school and St. Mary's national school in Rockboro, have made a valuable contribution to education in this country.

I am curious to find out why the Attorney General has supposedly given sudden advice to the effect that the Protestant ancillary grant should be withdrawn, after 43 years. Why is it suddenly proposed to stop a grant that has been provided for so many years? Senator Ross and I previously raised on the Adjournment our concerns about fee-paying schools. In this instance, we are talking about €2.8 million.

Is it the case, as Bishop Colton of Cork, Cloyne and Ross suggested in an interview with the Irish Examiner last week, that the Minister is hiding "behind secret advice about the document"? As the bishop said, the document in question is not the Minister's "alone, but the charter of the people of this country - our Constitution". As Bishop Colton put it:

Are we seriously to believe that the founding fathers and framers of our Constitution envisaged a situation where this Republic would become a hostile place for the children of the Protestant minority?

The Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Neill, has accused the Department of Education and Science of a "determined and doctrinaire attack against Protestant schools".

It is clear that we are facing a crisis because the two sides are on a collision course about the withdrawal of this grant. I understand that the Department is struggling to fund the education system, which is at the centre of everyone's thinking on the matter. Surely we have an obligation to protect the rights of all religions, including the minority religions. We need to guarantee the right of Protestant schools to provide education. If we are concerned about €2.8 million, we are concerned about a very small amount of money.

I wish to repeat some of the questions asked by Deputies Kenny and Brian Hayes in the Dáil last week. Who sought the advice of the Attorney General in this regard? When was that advice sought? Why was this advice suddenly given, after 43 years?

Many of my friends in Cork went to Protestant schools. I went to St. Finbarr's in Farranferris, the Catholic seminary, and many of my friends went to Ashton School. I know from the education my friends got that it was good and wholesome. We have an obligation to a new generation of students to allow the Protestant educational tradition to continue. The financial pressures on some schools in Cork are unnecessary and unfair. I look forward to the Minister of State's reply.