Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures, if any, he intends to implement in response a report into the 55 private fee-charging schools in the State which have more than €81m in discretionary income to spend on extra teachers, ancillary staff, state-of-the-art facilities and extra-curricular activities; and his plans to reduce or end the paying of State subsidies to these schools. [17562/13]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I commissioned the report in question in order to inform future budgetary decisions in relation to the allocation of teachers to schools in particular. I do not propose at this stage to anticipate any specific decisions the Government might take in respect of the next budget. It is important to look at the context in which exchequer funding to fee charging schools must be approached.

Ireland faces further budgets where a reduction in public expenditure across all areas of public provision, including education, will be necessary. Teacher allocation to all primary and second level schools will remain in focus throughout the period of fiscal adjustment because it represents a significant proportion of my Department's overall budget. The extent to which teaching posts can continue to be allocated to fee charging schools must remain under consideration in that context.