Fury as fee-paying schools get extra €1m in government grants
Officials turn down funding for same work in other areas
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NINETEEN of the country's elite fee-paying secondary schools are to get an additional €1m in cash from taxpayers under the Government's summer works scheme.
They will use the extra money for repairing roofs and windows or for gas and electrical work. But the disclosure has caused fury among dozens of struggling schools who have been refused grants under the same works scheme.
The principal of North Presentation School in Cork city, Ciaran Cooke, said he was very concerned that three fee-paying schools had secured funding to replace windows whereas his school's application for new windows was rejected. "We were told it was desirable but not essential," he said.
The same explanation was given to a Co Wexford school which unsuccessfully applied for funding for a new fire alarm in a school building described as a "potential death trap".
The Teachers' Union of Ireland said it was outrageous that schools that did not charge fees were refused grants for essential works when one-in-three of the country's fee-paying schools received them.
Discriminate
General secretary Peter MacMenamin said the €122m available under the scheme should go to those schools that had an open admissions policy and did not discriminate overtly or covertly.
"The fee-paying schools are already being bailed out by the taxpayer to the tune of €100m and now they are getting more," he said.
There are 51 fee-paying schools in the country, charging fees averaging €4,000-€5,000 a year which they use to hire additional teachers and provide better facilities for their 26,500 students.
The summer works scheme is open to all schools and allows them to undertake tasks such as gas, electrical and mechanical works, roof replacements and repairs, window replacement and other upgrades.
This year, 1,890 schools applied for grants, of which 80pc were successful -- 1,122 primary schools and 368 post-primary schools (including 19 fee-paying secondary schools).
Almost 400 were rejected, some apparently because the paperwork was not in order or because they did not meet the criteria set down by the Department of Education and Skills.
Others were refused because they wanted to introduce water conservation measures which are funded under a different grant scheme.
Many are unhappy with the reasons given for their rejection. And although there is no formal appeal system, a number have asked the department to reconsider their applications.
Ferdia Kelly, who represents secondary school managers, said his understanding was that all applications were judged on the basis of meeting the priority categories set down by the department.
There are 10 priority categories with gas and electrical works in the top two slots, while roof works are in the sixth category, windows in the seventh and external environmental projects at the bottom.
Alexandra College, in Milltown, Dublin, which charges €6,100 for day pupils and €16,220 for boarders, is getting a grant for roofing work. The department refused to say how much on the basis that publishing the information could hinder the tendering process.
Christopher Woods, head of Wesley College in Ballinteer, said it had secured a grant of €45,000, which would be used to improve heating. It had sought a larger grant to replace 40-year-old windows but this was turned down. Mr Woods said the school was already in debt and if the grant was not forthcoming would have to go even further into debt.
Education Minister Mary Coughlan said the scheme had the potential to generate work for more than 4,400 people during the summer.
- John Walshe Education Editor
Irish Independent
