asked the Minister for Education if she has received representations from the administrator of St. Paul's secondary school, Greenhills, Dublin 12, regarding the revision of the scheme of special grants for certain schools; and if she will make a statement on the matters raised in these representations.
Written Answers. - School Grants.
400.
My Department has received representations on behalf of the Advisory Committee of St. Paul's secondary school, Greenhills, Dublin 12, regarding the revision of the scheme of special grants for certain subjects.
The position is that, following many complaints about the operation of the system of payment of these grants, a new system was introduced in 1985 in the interests of equity, simplicity and earlier payment. As a result of the more equitable system of distribution some schools received less and others more than hitherto. The total amount of money paid out for these grants in 1985 was however greater than in any previous year.
A sizeable proportion of the funds available in 1985 had to be devoted to clearing a backlog of claims which brought the system up-to-date for the first time in years. No such backlog of claims remains to form a charge on the funds available to pay these special grants in 1986.