Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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280. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the recourse available to suppliers of goods and services to school boards of management, who cannot get payment from the school board despite the Department having issued payments to the school board for these specified services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4039/14]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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281. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he is satisfied with the level of accountability by school boards of management to his Department for the expenditure of monies allocated by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4040/14]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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282. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that parents are not entitled to the minutes of board of management meetings from their local schools; if in view of recent controversies regarding transparency of boards, he is satisfied with this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4041/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 280 to 282, inclusive, together.

In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. In general, the Board has the responsibility to ensure that the school operates efficiently and effectively. Boards of Management are required to comply with the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the relevant rules for schools and the terms of Circulars issued by my Department.

In accordance with section 18 of the Education Act 1998, schools are required to keep all proper and usual accounts and records of all moneys received by it or expenditure of such moneys incurred by it and must ensure that in each year all such accounts are properly audited or certified in accordance with best accounting practice. The Act further requires that such accounts shall be made available by the school for inspection by the Minister and by parents of students in the school, in so far as those accounts relate to moneys provided in accordance with Section 12 of the Act. Furthermore, the Board must satisfy itself that proper internal controls are in place for all financial transactions.

Generally, the Board of Management is responsible for contracts which exist between the Board of Management and the supplying contractor. For example where schools require temporary accommodation, the Board of Management is responsible for acquiring this accommodation and the rental contract is between the Board of Management and the supplying contractor. As the rental grant-aid is devolved to schools, it is a matter for school authorities to ensure that suppliers are paid in a timely manner.

It is a matter for each individual board to determine the information to be conveyed to parents, school staff and the school community. In doing so the board must be cognisant of its legal and other obligations in relation to, confidentiality, accuracy and security of all records and data held by the school.

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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283. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he is satisfied with the recourse available to parents of children in schools who wish to complain or appeal a decision of a board of management; if he will outline the options available to those parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4042/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware that under the Education Act 1998, legally, all schools are managed by school Boards of Management, on behalf of the school patrons or trustees, and it is the Board of Management that employs the teachers at the school. Accordingly, whereas I provide funding and policy direction for schools, neither I nor the Department have legal powers to instruct schools to follow a particular course of direction with regards to individual complaint cases, or to investigate individual complaints except where the complaint involves a refused enrolment, expulsion or suspension, in accordance with Section 29 of the 1998 Education Act.

In dealing with parental complaints, my Department's role is to clarify for parents how their grievances and complaints against schools can be progressed. If a parent wishes to make a complaint against a teacher or school they should contact the relevant school authorities. The complaint procedures adopted by most schools are those that have been agreed between the teacher unions and school management bodies. Where a parent feels that the school's board of management has failed to investigate or adequately investigate their complaint, they should contact the Ombudsman for Children.

The Office of the Ombudsman for Children may independently investigate complaints about schools recognised with the Department of Education and Skills, provided the parent has firstly and fully followed the school's complaints procedures. The key criterion for any intervention by the Ombudsman for Children is that the action of the school has had a negative affect on a child. The office can be contacted at Ombudsman for Children's Office, Millennium House, 52-56 Great Strand Street, Dublin1, (Ph) 1800 20 20 40 or (01) 8656800, E-mail oco@oco.ie.

The Deputy will be aware that I am committed to publishing the arrangements for establishing a Parent and Student Charter. The purpose of the Charter is to strengthen the position of parents within the school system and to bring about a culture change in how schools engage with and involve parents (and students in an age related manner).