17.10.2008
Minister Striking Directly at the Disadvantaged Says Archbishop of Dublin
The Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr John Neill today accused the Minister for Education and Science, Mr Batt O'Keefe TD of striking "directly at the disadvantaged" by removing ancillary funding to Protestant Schools.
The Archbishop's statement follows this press release in full.
The Archbishop explained, "The Minister’s Department is well aware that the Protestant block grant and the ancillary funding has allowed our schools to provide for significant numbers of pupils from families in economic difficulties including those on the minimum wage or in receipt of social welfare. The so-called “anomalous situation” was introduced by one of his predecessors in recognition that the small number of Protestant Secondary schools existed to provide not only for a scattered community, but also for those for whom the State could not provide “free schooling” within the ethos of their own churches."
The Archbishop concluded that the Minister's decision "will damage the delivery of education to the children of the Church of Ireland and other Protestant communities."
During the recent Dublin and Glendalough Diocesan Synods, many members expressed their concern at developments it education. Frances Hill, Principal of the King's Hospital said that withdrawal of support services constituted "a major threat to the very existance of some of our schools."
The decision of the Minister for Education & Science, Mr Batt O’Keeffe TD, to remove certain grants, including the support services grant, from the voluntary secondary schools serving the protestant community strikes directly at the disadvantaged. The Minister has sought to make play with a statement that there is an anomalous situation with other fee charging schools. The Minister’s Department is well aware that the Protestant block grant and the ancillary funding has allowed our schools to provide for significant numbers of pupils from families in economic difficulties including those on the minimum wage or in receipt of social welfare. The so-called “anomalous situation” was introduced by one of his predecessors in recognition that the small number of Protestant Secondary schools existed to provide not only for a scattered community, but also for those for whom the State could not provide “free schooling” within the ethos of their own churches. The Minister’s decision to remove grants to these schools coupled with a rise in the pupil teacher ratio by two points will damage the delivery of education to the children of the Church of Ireland and other Protestant communities.