Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 888: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, with regard to a student currently attending a State funded school as a dependent of a parent residing in the State on a self sufficiency basis, a facility exists whereby an equivalent fee or payment can be made to the school attended or the Department of Education and Science in order to meet self sufficiency requirements and enable continued attendance at a State funded school. [19793/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The entitlements of foreign nationals in the State and the conditions applicable to them depend on their immigration status. A foreign national may be granted permission to remain on the basis of self-sufficiency. The underlying principle regarding self-sufficiency is that the foreign national who is here on that basis would not need to avail of State funds or State funded services nor would any dependant family members who were allowed enter the State require such State benefits. If the student child of a parent who is in the State on the basis of self-sufficiency were to be enrolled in a State-funded school that would conflict with the principle of self-sufficiency. Under immigration law where permission is granted to reside in Ireland on a basis that excludes access to State funded services, placing dependant children in State schools would be in breach of the conditions of the person's permission to be in the State. I understand that it is not possible for schools or the Department of Education to levy the sort of fee set out in the Deputy's question on the basis of nationality or status.