Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)
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There are serious funding issues facing the Educate Together organisation and I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, for attending to discuss them. My colleague, Senator Averil Power, and I have met members of Educate Together in my area, in which there are Educate Together schools in Balbriggan, Skerries, Swords, Malahide, Holywell, Thornleigh, Rush and Lusk. It is good that parents have a choice in how they want their children to be taught. However, there is a major issue, one which relates to all patron bodies, namely, the initial costs of establishment of schools. To give an example, in Britain Educate Together opened a primary school in Bristol, for which a total of £230,000 sterling was paid to the Educate Together Academy Trust. One can strip away some of the things for which we would pay, but it is still over £100,000 sterling more than a school here would receive. If Educate Together establishes a school in temporary accommodation here, as it has done in Malahide, it will receive a one-off payment of €10,000 and that is it. That is not sustainable.

In September this year there were 74 primary schools in the Educate Together sector which believes, based on its research, that we will need 300 such schools. It is not scaremongering in stating this or stating we will need to close down any school or anything like it. What it is stating is that this issue is inhibiting its ability to set up schools, particularly secondary schools. To be very fair to it, it is not being selfish about this and it has mentioned that this is an issue that affects all patron bodies. This issue needs to be addressed specifically for Educate Together, for which I have a lot of regard. I am glad to say my own party was very involved in providing for parental choice when my party leader, Deputy Micheál Martin, was the then Minister for Education and Science. We need to do something about the provision of funding for the establishment of schools, given that there are ongoing issues in this regard. I am interested in hear whating the Minister of State has to say.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for raising this issue. I am in the House on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, who was unable to attend.

I am glad to have the opportunity to outline to the House the funding arrangements for the Educate Together organisation, an issue which is well recognised. I visited one of its excellent schools in the Senator's area recently and know that the organisation is doing great work. Naturally, all of us involved in education would like to see greater resources and, as the position improves, it is our aim to try to match resources with demand as best we can.

I inform the Senator that the Minister met a delegation from Educate Together yesterday and funding for the management body was a priority on its agenda. Despite continuing financial challenges, the Government has remained committed to protecting front-line education services as far as possible. This priority commitment was most recently demonstrated in budget 2015 when the Minister's priority was to provide funding to maintain class sizes and ensure the education system could recruit more teachers. As a result, almost 1,400 additional teachers will be taken on in primary and post-primary schools next year. The budget also provides for an increase of 365 in the existing cap on the numbers of special needs assistant posts. Funding provision has been made to provide the additional school places needed to meet the increased demand and progress the reform agenda in education. Our main priority for additional resources for the foreseeable future will be to cater for the continuing increase in demographics at all levels in the education system.

As a matter of policy, the Department does not fund patrons or patron bodies. It does, however, provide annual grants for the recognised management bodies at primary and post-primary level to assist them in providing management support for the schools in their sectors. Management bodies such as the CPSMA, Educate Together, the Church of Ireland Board of Education at primary level or second level, the JMB-AMCSS, the IVEA and the ACCS provide important support services for schools in employment, legal, financial and other matters. The individual management bodies' remit reflects the particular patronage of the schools which they serve.

In 2013 the core funding for the management bodies at primary level amounted to some €760,000, of which the Educate Together management body received €133,000. This level of funding has regard to the number of schools served by Educate Together and the level of funding provided for other management bodies at primary level. Educate Together is the national body for 69 primary schools, although the Senator referred to a figure of 75, which perhaps refers to schools it intends to take over.

Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)
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Some are at second level.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Some 57 are schools for which Educate Together is the patron, with the remaining 12 being affiliated to it. Since 2012,15 primary schools have opened under the patronage of Educate Together, 11 through the new school process and four through the divesting process. At post-primary level, Educate Together is or will be involved in a total of eight schools between now and 2016. For five of these schools, it is sole patron; it is a co-patron for two of them and in a partnership model in one of them.

In addition to core funding, Educate Together received €80,000 in 2013 and a further €64,000 for opening and taking over patronage of divested schools. In February 2013 my Department approved a non-recoupable secondment for a teacher to the Educate Together management body. This secondment which was for an initial period of two years has recently been extended for a further three year period.

The Minister is committed to providing funding for the Educate Together management body within the constraints of the budgetary measures that are putting the public finances on a more sustainable basis. It is incumbent on all organisations in receipt of State funding, including the Educate Together organisation, to manage their operations in line with the funding available to them.

I again thank the Senator for providing me with the opportunity to outline to the House the funding arrangements for the Educate Together organisation. I hope the information provided is useful.

Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State, but there is nothing new in the answer.

Where one is looking at all the initial set-up costs to establish or take over a school like this, the Minister of State will appreciate that €10,000 will not do it. There is also the ongoing cost.

I will be going back with my colleague, Senator Averil Power, to meet with Educate Together. We will assess the response and revert to the Minister of State with any further queries. There is nothing new in it. While I appreciate the Minister of State coming here and giving me that answer, we need to look at increasing the funding as best we can in what are, I grant, straitened times. I thank the Minister of State for his response.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I will certainly also raise the Senator's concerns with the Minister, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan. As the Senator knows, she met with Educate Together representatives yesterday. Perhaps at the Senator's follow up meeting, he can discuss that with them also.

Any Minister starting in the Department of Education and Skills realises that it is a question of doing a great deal with very little. We are certainly trying to do our best and to stretch resources. All schools could do with more money, but it is a question of using what we have. Naturally, we will be fighting over the year on the things we cover to get more money and to ensure it is distributed fairly. We recognise that all schools could do with more money, but it is a case of ensuring we divide it equally and fairly among those who need it.