Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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1440. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to set out the position regarding school fees for protestant schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34765/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The issue raised by the Deputy is about seeking a reduction in the pupil teacher ratio for fee-charging Protestant secondary schools.

The Government's focus in recent years has been on operating a budgetary programme that is designed to return the Government finances to a sustainable basis.

One aspect of the budgetary decisions was to increase the pupil teacher ratio for fee-charging schools. Fee-charging schools have the resources, through fees charged, to employ teachers privately, an option which is not available to schools in the free education scheme.

Given the current budgetary environment there is no scope in the short term to consider improvements to pupil teacher allocation ratios. My Department's focus for the foreseeable future is on targeting any additional resources to cater for the continuing increase in demographics at all levels in the education system.