asked the Minister for Education if she is aware of the very serious financial situation existing in voluntary secondary schools due to lack of adequate financing from her Department; and the reason for the serious anomaly in financing voluntary secondary schools as against the financing of community and comprehensive colleges.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Voluntary Secondary School Financing.
5.
I do not accept that a very serious financial situation exists in secondary schools because of inadequate financing from my Department. Neither do I accept that there is a serious anomaly between the financing of secondary schools and the financing of community and comprehensive schools. My policy has been and is to apportion the financial resources available to me for the Financial cing of post-primary schools in as equitable a manner as possible.
I am surprised at the Minister's reply. Is she not aware of the number of crisis meeting which have taken place during the past few months involving parents of pupils attending voluntary secondary schools? They have been in touch with her Department regarding the crisis.
A question, Deputy.
I have asked a question. At the outset I asked whether the Minister was aware, that surely is a question. Is the Minister further aware that in one particular school in Dublin a number of subjects such as science, woodwork and art have had to be withdrawn?
If one asks if the Minister is not aware and follows that by a statement, it is a statement and not a question.
Could I please ask my question without interruption?
I do not want to interrupt the Deputy or any other Deputy.
I am well capable of asking a question myself and on two occasions I have asked the Minister if she is aware. Surely that is a question.
I am sure the Deputy is capable of asking a question. I have no doubt about it. To ask if a person is aware of what appeared in last week's paper and then to read the whole paper, that is not a question.
What paper?
Any paper. Neither is it a question to ask——
I am a little surprised—
The Deputy will have to listen to the Chair. If a Deputy asks a question in the form "is the Minister aware" and then proceeds to give a lot of information, that is not a question and has been so ruled on innumerable occasions.
It is rather difficult to elicit satisfactory responses from the Minister. The Deputy is only trying to be helpful, with all due respect.
Arising from information which as been forwarded to her Department and which I have here before me, is the Minister aware of the crisis whereby a number of secondary schools in Dublin are practically at closing point? If I may give some information to the Minister, there is one school in Dublin of which the Minister is probably aware where there is a deficit of £18,500 in one year. Surely that is a crisis.
The increase in the funding of secondary schools in recent years has been quite generous. On 1 September 1981 an increase of 10 per cent in capitation grants was paid to secondary schools; in 1982 it was 6.5 per cent; in 1983 it was 12.2 per cent; in 1984 it was 8.7 per cent. I am quite satisfied that the level of grants is as satisfactory as possible in the circumstances of the Exchequer and that we have done very well by secondary schools, under a different system of financing which the Deputy is well aware exists between different kinds of schools which have evolved historically from the origins of those schools.
Would the Minister confirm that community schools who cater for approximately 10 per cent of the numbers attending voluntary schools have grants and financial assistance representing about 75 per cent of the total given to voluntary schools?
There are different systems of financing community schools and secondary schools arising from different management structures, different conditions of management, ownership of schools in the secondary schools system. This different system of financing has evolved over many years. The Deputy is quite right in talking about different systems of financing different kinds of schools. It is the Department's continual concern to avoid as far as possible any anomaly in respect of unit costs as between the different kinds of post primary schools and that is why we have in recent years considerably increased the grants paid to secondary schools each year.
Because of the different system that has been applied to the financing of the respective schools, will the Minister now review the financing system that has been applied to voluntary schools to bring them into line with community schools? In those circumstances the voluntary schools would get a far fairer return of funds. Will the Minister check with her officials to ascertain that the seriousness of the position has been communicated to her Department? I am very surprised that the Minister is not aware of it.
I did not say I was not aware of it. I am aware that all schools consider that they have a serious position and I am aware that as far as possible we meet the serious position of the schools every year by increasing the grant very satisfactorily.
Will the Minister agree to review the financing system for voluntary secondary schools?
I will consider that question.