Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 427: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if moneys will be made available to restore the support services grant to fee-paying Protestant schools considering many of these schools face closure in the coming years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13386/09]

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 526: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will restore the support services grant to fee-paying Protestant schools considering many of these schools face closure in the coming year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13388/09]

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 527: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the impact the removal of the support services grant from fee-paying Protestant schools is having on parents who can no longer afford to send their children to a school with a suitable ethos and the effect it is having on schools themselves with many facing closure in the next decade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13389/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 427, 526 and 527 together.

I do not accept the assertion by the Deputy that fee-paying Protestant schools are facing closure, either in the short or longer term, as a result of the decision to withdraw the school services support grant in last October's budget. I have met with representatives of both the Church of Ireland Board of Education and the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland to discuss the funding position of the schools referred to by the Deputy. I briefed the representatives on funding arrangements for Protestant schools and the background to the decision in the October budget to remove certain grants from fee-paying Protestant schools.

I outlined the background to the block grant, which is expected to be €6.5 million in this school year. It covers capitation, tuition and boarding costs and is distributed through the Secondary Education Committee established by the churches concerned. Applications for assistance are made by parents to the Secondary Education Committee which, on the basis of a means test, distributes the funds to individual schools on the basis of pupil needs. This fund ensures that necessitous Protestant children can attend a school of their choice.

I confirmed that there were no changes to this grant and that I would be willing to consider increasing it when the public finances permit. At my meeting with representatives of the Church of Ireland Board of Education, led by Archbishop John Neill, I expressed my willingness to consider any proposals that might be made to my Department that would enable the available funding to be focused and adjusted to more effectively meet the twin objectives of access for individuals and sustaining the dispersed schools that they wish to attend. The Bishops are to respond on how the funding I am continuing to make available might best be deployed to meet the needs of their schools. I can advise the Deputy that I recently received correspondence from the Secondary Education Committee who have sought a meeting with my officials to progress the matter.

I emphasised to the representatives of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland that I, along with my colleagues in Government, recognise the importance of ensuring that students from a Protestant background can attend a school that reflects their denominational ethos. The meeting was constructive and I expressed my willingness to schedule further meetings if it would be considered helpful.