Vol. 466 No. 6
88 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Education the plans, if any, she has to dissuade secondary schools from charging large registration fees for potential incoming students where the fee is forfeited if the student's place is not confirmed or accepted. [11953/96]
Schools in the free education scheme are not entitled to charge pupils for a school place. However, I understand that it is the practice in some schools to charge a booking or registration fee. Charges of this nature are permissible under the scheme provided that it is clearly indicated that the fee is refundable when the pupil takes his/her place in the school. There are no proposals under consideration in my Department which would require a school to refund fees to a pupil who has been offered a place but later fails to accept.
