Schools Recognition

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 October 2012

Tuesday, 9 October 2012

Ceisteanna (115)

Dessie Ellis

Ceist:

115. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that a school (details supplied) in Dublin is continuing the practice of asking parents to pay an annual voluntary contribution in excess of €3,000 despite the school securing permanent recognition from his Department in 2005; if he will provide details of other schools in a similar position that are asking parents to make an annual voluntary contribution in excess of €200. [43100/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The school in question does not have permanent recognition from my Department. It has provisional recognition from my Department. My Department does not collect information from the school system in relation to the level of voluntary contributions sought by individual schools. My Department's policy is that voluntary contributions by parents are permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay and that a child's place in the school or continued enrolment is not dependant on a willingness to make a contribution. The manner in which contributions are sought and collected is a matter for school management; however their collection should be such as not to create a situation where either parents or pupils could reasonably infer that the contributions take on a compulsory character.