PRIVATE FEE-PAYING schools received over €100 million in support from the taxpayer last year.
According to new figures, Dublin’s Blackrock College received €4.2 million to cover the cost of 58 teacher salaries.
Another well-known Dublin school, St Andrew’s College, received €3.6 million to cover annual salaries for 52 teachers, while outside of Dublin the biggest payment of €3.2 million went to Kilkenny College.
Dublin’s Belvedere College received €3.5 million for 51 teaching staff, while Wesley College received €3.2 million.
Ireland is one of the few countries where the State pays the salaries of teachers in private schools. This allows fee-paying schools to use fee income to boost its range of school services and facilities.
The 2009 McCarthy Report on public service reform estimated that the 50-plus fee-paying schools in the State generate about €100 million in annual fee income from parents.
This is in addition to the €100 million from the State for teacher salaries.
Most fee-paying schools charge fees of over €5,000 per year, with boarding schools charging up to €16,000 per year.
Last September, 10 private schools in Dublin moved to increase their fees, despite the general fall in consumer prices across the economy.
The decision reflected continued strong demand by parents for private education, which has been largely unaffected by the economic downturn.
The total number of students in fee-paying second-level schools this year (26,277) has dipped only marginally on last year.
Other Dublin schools to receive significant State support this year include Mount Anville, Goatstown (received €2.4 million); Loreto Abbey, Dalkey (€2.3 million); Mount Sackville, Chapelizod (€2 million); Castleknock College (€2.1 million); Loreto, Foxrock (€2.3 million), Loreto, Beaufort (€2.2 million) and King’s Hospital (€2.7 million).
Further recipients in Dublin are Gonzaga College, Ranelagh (€2.2 million); Terenure College (€2.6 million); St Michael’s College, Ballsbridge (€2 million); Loreto, St Stephen’s Green (€2.1 million); the High School, Rathgar (€2.5 million), and Alexandra College, Milltown (€2.3 million).
Outside of Dublin, the main beneficiaries include Kilkenny College (€3.2 million); Newbridge College, Kildare (€3 million); Sidney Hill, Cork (€2.8 million) and Villiers, Limerick (€2.2 million).
The most expensive fee-paying school in the State, St Gerard’s in Bray, Co Wicklow received €1.8 million.
In all, the Department of Education figures – provided in a Dáil answer to Labour’s education spokesman Ruairí Quinn – show the 51 fee-paying schools will share over €100 million in support for teacher salaries in 2009/10.
The new figures are certain to intensify the debate about support for the fee-paying sector.
Last year, Minister for Education Mary Coughlan ruled out any change in support for private schools, which was a long-standing practice.
“The situation is that teachers have been paid since the 1960s.
“The policy has been set and has been alluded to by my predecessor Mary Hanafin. I’m not changing that policy.”
Two years ago, the Department of Finance backed a 50 per cent cut in State support for fee-paying schools in its submission to the McCarthy group on public service savings in 2009.
The Teachers’ Union of Ireland says State funding should be withdrawn from those fee-paying schools which operate restrictive admission policies.