With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take questions Nos. 27 and 28 together.
I am not aware that informed parents or representatives of secondary schools feel that the secondary system is discriminated against in the matter of staffing or finance.
In 1977 the ratio by general reference to which the number of teachers to whom incremental salary may be paid in secondary schools is calculated, was improved from one teacher to 20 pupils to one teacher to 19 pupils. The principal, vice principal and in some categories of school a guidance teacher and a remedial teacher may be appointed outside the quota.
Since 1978 the tuition grants to secondary schools have been increased on three occasions. As from the commencement of the school-year 1981-82 the grant is being increased from £70 to £77. The tuition grant has accordingly been increased since 1977 by 54 per cent. The capitation grant was also increased from £30 to £32 in 1979.
Additional substantial aid was given to secondary schools in 1980 through the fact that my Department assumed responsibility for the amount of the employers' contributions under the pay related social insurance scheme. The provision in the Estimates for 1981 in respect of such charge is £4.2 million. Since 1980 also the Department of Education recoup the full cost of substitute teachers in certain cases as against a recoupment of two-thirds of the cost in the immediately preceeding period.
I may add that my objective in the apportioning of the financial resources available to me for educational purposes is to do so in such a way as to enable each type of school to fulfil its functions satisfactorily.