Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 176: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department or its agencies have funding available for families that find it difficult to meet the financial contributions of transition year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19405/07]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 177: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans to fund activities for children in transition year in view of the cost of funding activities; if her Department has facilities or personnel to deal with such matters; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19407/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 177 together.

It is a fundamental principle of the Free Post-Primary Education Scheme that no charge is made in respect of:

instruction in any subject of my Department's programme for Secondary Schools;

recreation or study facilities where all the pupils are expected to avail themselves of these as part of the school programme;

any other activities in which all pupils are required to take part.

Voluntary contributions by parents or charges for optional extras over and above what is provided for in the general school programme are permissible under the scheme, provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay, and, that in making a contribution, they are doing so of their own volition.

The Transition Year Programme (TYP) is part of the revised Senior Cycle structure and over 600 schools are now providing the programme. My Department provides a special per capita grant to schools in the free education scheme offering TYP. This is in respect of additional teaching hours required to allow for co-ordination and planning and for any other expenses related exclusively to the TYP.

I understand that schools are sensitive to the costs associated with TYP and seek to take account of the capacity of students and their families to meet the costs involved.

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I recently announced that the TYP grant is to be increased from €63.49 to €100 per pupil with effect from the 1st September 2007.