Departmental Expenditure.

Tuesday, 20 October 2009

Questions (488)

George Lee

Question:

579 Deputy George Lee asked the Minister for Education and Science the fee paying Protestant denominated schools that receive funding from the Exchequer; the number of students who are enrolled in each of these schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36751/09]

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Written answers

Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe)

Information regarding enrolments in Protestant schools whose pupils may qualify for assistance from the Secondary Education Committee by way of the Protestant block grant is shown in the following table. There are 26 schools with a Protestant ethos in the State, 21 of which charge fees. No fee-charging school, regardless of denomination, receives direct funding from my Department to cover its running costs. However, teachers in all fee-charging schools are paid by the State, an arrangement which pre-dated the introduction of free education arrangements. Teachers are allocated to fee-charging schools at a pupil teacher ratio of 20:1; which is a point higher than in schools in the free education scheme. Fee-charging schools may continue to employ additional teachers that they fund from their fee income. The cost of teachers' salaries in Protestant and Jewish schools amounted to €39.4 million in the 2007/08 school year. Protestant and Jewish schools also received €1.5 million in capital funding in 2008.

My Department disburses the Protestant block grant, which has amounted to €6.5 million in 2009. It covers capitation, tuition and boarding costs and is distributed through the Secondary Education Committee established by the churches concerned. This fund ensures that necessitous Protestant children can attend a school of their choice. The boarding grant element of the block grant is a recognition of the dispersed nature of the Protestant community. In this regard, I wish to advise the Deputy that students who board at a Protestant school which does not charge fees may also apply for a grant from the Secondary Education Committee to assist with boarding costs. At present, only one school falls into this category.

I, along with my colleagues in Government, recognise the importance of ensuring that students from a Protestant background can attend a school that reflects their denominational ethos. I will continue to work with representatives of the Protestant educational sector to ensure that State funding made available to the Protestant community is targeted in the fairest way possible to meet the needs of their children and their schools.

List of Protestant schools and enrolments used to determine Protestant Block Grant for School Year 2008/2009

Roll No.	School	Boarder, based on 07/08 enrolments	Day, based on 07/08 enrolments	Total, based on 07/08 enrolments
60090Q	Rathdown School, Glenageary	114	286	400
60272W	Kings Hospital, Palmerstown	344	354	698
60320H	St. Columba’s College, Dublin 18	230	66	296
60381E	Sutton Park School, Dublin 13	28	266	294
60640C	Sandford Park School, Dublin 6		248	248
60650F	St Andrew’s College, Booterstown		975	975
60660I	St Patrick’s Cathedral School, Dublin 8		130	130
60670L	High School, Dublin 6		789	789
60910F	Alexandra College, Milltown	156	454	610
61010U	Wesley College, Ballinteer	120	754	874
61080S	Royal School, Cavan	56	134	190
61570M	Kilkenny College	476	342	818
62060R	Bandon Grammar School, Co. Cork	119	367	486
62370J	Midleton College, Co Cork	83	223	306
63300Q	Wilson’s Hospital School, Co. Westmeath	228	162	390
63870L	Drogheda Grammar School	22	255	277
63920A	Dundalk Grammar School	88	413	501
64310B	Villiers School, Limerick	129	409	538
64830E	Monaghan Collegiate School		237	237
65010R	Newtown School, Waterford	182	168	350
65190W	Sligo Grammar School	109	347	456
	Total — fee-charging schools			9,863
81011L	Royal & Prior School Raphoe; as day pupils do not pay fees, only boarding pupils are included in calculations for the Protestant Block Grant	34	458	492
	Total	2,518	7,379	9,897