Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 February 2010
218 Deputy Christy O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science the arrangements in place for students from the Church of Ireland, Presbyterian and Methodist persuasions to attend boarding schools here when there is no adjacent Protestant day school; the names of the schools eligible under this scheme; the locations of these schools and their roll numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8218/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department disburses the Protestant Block grant, which 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 Protestant churches involved in the provision of education. 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. A list of boarding schools is available on my Department's website.
