asked the Minister for Education the total cost to the State of grants or other financial assistance provided by her Department to private fee-paying first and second level schools and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Fee Paying Schools.
Private primary schools are not funded by my Department.
There are 60 fee-paying recognised secondary schools in the State including 22 Protestant schools and one Jewish school. A special block grant amounting to £1,391,000 was paid to the Protestant Schools Secondary Education Committee in 1983 for distribution among the twenty two Protestant secondary schools, on the basis that the money would be applied to necessitous pupils. A special grant of £9,272 was also paid on the same basis to the Jewish school in 1983. This arrangement is in lieu of the Tuition Grant paid to Catholic secondary schools where parents do not pay tuition fees. During the year, 1983, grants were paid as follows to the fee-paying secondary schools.
Capitation Grants |
Science and Equipment Grants |
Choirs and Orchestras Grants |
|
£ |
£ |
£ |
|
Catholic Schools |
411,786 |
42,025 |
844 |
Protestant Schools |
214,992 |
26,023 |
Nil |
Jewish School |
3,114 |
Nil |
Nil |
Totals |
629,892 |
68,048 |
844 |
The total amount of incremental salary paid to teachers is not accounted for by reference to fee-paying schools and other schools and it would involve an inordinate amount of official time to compile the information requested.