Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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13. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the widespread concerns of boards of management and parents' associations of smaller fee-charging schools about the increase in the pupil-teacher ratio; if her further attention has been drawn to the serious impact such increases will have on such schools, particularly schools under the patronage of Protestant churches; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37967/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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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.

I am conscious that the budget measures have impacted on all schools large and small, across all patronage types and whether or not they were precluded from charging fees or could charge them. The measures had a focus in particular in protecting as far as possible DEIS schools

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.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that students from a Protestant background can attend a school that reflects their denominational ethos, while at the same time ensuring that funding arrangements are in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.