Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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226. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding his Department has allocated or committed to paying off the debts of a college (details supplied) in County Kilkenny, including outstanding loans, the move from a 21:1 to 23:1 teacher ratio and the college's switch from a private to public school; if he will outline any other expenditure incurred by his Department as result of this switch between 2012 and into the 2013-14 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40449/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The authorities of the College concerned decided that the future of the College would be better secured if it were to enter the Free Education Scheme. The College is a significant provider of second level places that serve the needs of minority religion communities not just in Kilkenny but in other counties in the region.

It is Government policy to provide for a diversity of patronage types within the school system. In that context the Government recognises the importance of securing the future of schools whose ethos is that of a minority religion. To that end my Department engaged with the authorities of the College concerned on their wish to enter the Free Scheme. The funding changes for the College on entry to the Free Scheme concern provision for capital investment, the provision of teaching posts and the provision of capitation funding. Teachers are being provided for the 2013/14 school year on the basis of 19:1 which applies to all schools in the Free Scheme. Teaching posts are also allocated for special needs. In addition, the Department provides for curricular issues that arise in schools. In the case of the College concerned the allocation for curricular concessions takes account of the fact that for a period the College has liabilities to those who were attending the College while it was fee charging in relation to the subjects they are preparing to take in the State Examinations. The projected teacher salary costs for the 2013/14 school year is estimated at €3.6m.

Schools in the Free Scheme receive capitation funding. The precise capitation to be paid to the college in the period referred to by the Deputy will be a function of the confirmed enrolment in the College and any decisions the Government may take in the upcoming budget. An indicative estimate is €710,000.

The Department had provided partial capital grant funding of €750,000 to the College prior to it entering the Free Scheme. The Department reviewed its funding for the building work concerned on the basis that the College would in future be categorised as a Free Scheme school and therefore would be eligible for consideration for capital funding on that basis. The total funding envelope provided by the Department for the building works has been increased to €3.629 million (inclusive of the initial grant). The College will utilise this grant funding to meet liabilities it had incurred in relation to the building works that would otherwise be met from fee income had the school not entered the Free Scheme.