Moving fee-charging schools to free education sector 'will cost €133m a year'

The country's fee-charging schools have said 1,500 jobs will be lost if they are targetted for more cuts in next month's Budget.

The 55 schools who have teachers paid for by the taxpayer have launched a campaign urging parents to lobby TDs before the budget.

The group said the cost to the taxpayer, if the schools moved to the free education sector, would be €133m a year, more than the €23m claimed by the Department.

Ferdia Kelly from the Joint Managerial Body said fee-charging schools cannot take any more cuts to the pupil teacher ratio.