Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Finance if there is a mechanism or provision whereby private fee-paying schools who are in receipt of public funds and who are subject to section 2 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009 can extend the exemption in section 6 to workers who are paid exclusively through privately raised funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11844/11]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The staff of recognised private fee-paying schools are deemed to be public servants for the purposes of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009. This position has been confirmed by legal advice. It is of course open to such schools to make a formal application seeking an exemption under Section 6 of the Act from the relevant Minister.

The former Minister for Finance approved a temporary exemption under Section 6 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act for certain categories of workers in the education sector (which included certain staff such as caretakers and secretaries) until 31 December 2010. Accordingly, the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act has been applied to those specific categories of workers in the education sector since 1 January 2011 in contrast to all other persons employed by organisations deemed to be "public service bodies" for the purposes of the Act for whom the reductions have applied since 1 January 2010.

Section 7 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act provides that the Minister shall, before 30 June 2011 and every year thereafter, carry out a review of the operation, effectiveness and impact of the Act, having regard to the overall economic conditions in the State and national competitiveness. That review will not however involve the consideration of the position of individual or groups of public servants within the meaning of the Act.