asked the Minister for Education whether he has received any representations from the managerial authorities of secondary schools as to the adequacy or otherwise of the 10 per cent increase in the grants in lieu of fees which was recently announced by him.

I wish to draw attention to the statement issued on 21 January 1981 by Brother Declan Duffy, General Secretary, on behalf of the Joint Managerial Body which represent 530 Catholic and Protestant schools. In the course of the statement it was indicated that the Joint Managerial Body welcomed the increase of £7 in the grant in lieu of fees and congratulated me on my effort in difficult financial circumstances to help secondary school authorities to maintain the school service in times of escalating inflation. The JMB requested that the increase should be introduced with effect from 1 January but I was unable to meet such request.

Do I interpret the Minister's reply correctly as a statement that, while the managerial authorities were grateful for the increase granted, they did not regard it as adequate?

I dare say that, no matter what grant or Government allocation is given, people will still not be satisfied. They will want more.

Is the Minister accusing them of being petty and niggling in this matter?

Far from it.

Is it not the case that the Secretariat of Secondary Schools sought an increase far in excess of that granted? Further, is it not the case that the increase granted is about £20per capita less than what was sought? Will the Minister explain to the House why he was not in a position to grant the increase applied for?

Anybody who has visited a cattle fair should know that you never get what you ask.

In refusing to backdate the grant to the date requested by the managerial authorities, will the Minister state if he did so because he disagreed with the case put forward by the managerial authorities to justify the backdating or was it because he did not have the money?

Taking into account the total expenditure on education for the year, the Government decided that the appropriate date was the beginning of the academic year 1981-82.

That means the Minister did not have the money.

No such thing.

11.

asked the Minister for Education if he will outline the level of grants in lieu of tuition fees to secondary schools since 1977; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

It has been decided to increase the grant in lieu of tuition fees from £70 to £77 with effect from the commencement of the school year 1981-82.

The amount of the grant was £50 on 1 January 1977 and was increased to £66.50 with effect from 1 January 1978. It was further increased to £70 as from the commencement of the school-year 1979-80.

Is the Minister aware that the increase granted for 1981-82 is 10 per cent while the rate of inflation for 1981 is expected to be in the region of 20 per cent? In other words, the increase in the capitation grant to be applied for 1981-82 is roughly half the inflation rate. Is the Minister aware of the serious damage that will be caused in respect of maintenance and the general quality of educational services? Further will the Minister explain why the claim was not allowed in respect of the school year 1980-81?

The increase was granted from the beginning of the year for the reasons I set out in respect of the previous question. I will make some points about this matter. The grant was £50 in 1975-76 and was £50 in 1976-77. The amount was not increased until 1 January 1978, when I increased it to £66.50. I started from a low base but I think I did reasonably well in increasing the grant from £66.50 to £70 and then to £77.

Is the Minister aware that during the period 1977-81 the rate of inflation has been roughly 68 per cent? The inflation rate is higher than the amount of increases granted by the Minister.

What was the inflation rate after the first oil increase? At that time the grant of £50 was not increased.

Two wrongs do not make a right.

I do not accept there is anything wrong in the decision I made.

Will the Minister not accept that the increase given in the past three years is less than the inflation rate during that time?

I made an honest effort to give a substantial increase.

It is not enough.

It is never enough.

Is there any significance in the pattern that seems to be emerging in the Minister's replies, that all increases in grants are given by him but where increases are refused it is done by the Government?

That is not so. I accept collective responsibility with the Government for everything and I am proud to do so.