Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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26. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure schools report to her Department the level of voluntary contributions they receive from parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37919/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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As the Deputy is aware, voluntary contributions by parents are permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay and that, in making a contribution, they are doing so of their own volition.

Decisions in relation to such contributions are dealt with at local school level. My Department does not require schools to report to it on the amounts involved and I have no plans to require such reporting – with 4,000 schools in our education system, doing so would seem to create a very significant administrative burden, both on schools and on the Department.

However, I believe that schools need to be accountable to parents and we need greater levels of communication, engagement and transparency in how schools serve their communities. Better information for parents, including information in relation to the collection and use of voluntary contributions, is an issue that I will be looking at in the context of my Department's work on developing plans for a Parents' and Students' Charter.