Orange Order buoyed by Government meeting on education grants

The Orange Order today described as an historic landmark its meeting with the Government over the slashing of education grants to Protestant schools in Ireland.

In the first official talks between the Order and Dublin, both sides tried to hammer out a solution to a €2.8m funding hole facing 21 Protestant schools with the abolition of a special support grant.

It is understood Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe suggested that ways are being explored whereby the public cash can be channelled into the schools, about half of which are along the border, through different means.

The Order’s Grand Secretary Drew Nelson said he was happy with the meeting and that Minister O’Keeffe was committed to resolving the shortfall.

“I think the minister is anxious to try and resolve the matter and find a way forward, he is very anxious that Protestant schoolchildren around the border areas should not be unfairly disadvantaged by this,” he said.

“He has made a suggestion here today and we are going away now to consult our members.

“Hopefully we will then be coming back to Dublin and we will certainly be continuing to engage with the Department of Education in the Republic to try and resolve this matter.”

Mr Thompson said Government concerns about the constitutional legality of the special grants came under discussion during the 45-minute meeting at Leinster House.

It is believed legal advice suggested they were unconstitutional in their current form.

The fee-paying schools continue to receive a €6.25m bloc grant to cover capitation, tuition and boarding for the year, despite cuts sparked by the recession.

Any changes in the way the money is allocated to the schools will have to involve talks with the churches in Ireland.

Mr Drew said the talks were a milestone on the road to a more progressive relationship between the Order and the Government.

“I think there will be a healthier relationship between the Orange institution and the Government in the Republic,” he said.

“I think that has been developing for two or three years now, but I can see us representing the interests of our members [to the Government] on different matters in the future.”

The Order’s Grand Master Robert Saulters said he found Minister O’Keeffe very easy to talk to and hoped they would be meeting again.

“It was a very good meeting. I think the minister was very honest with us, very open and it was a very good start on this particular subject,” he added.

Minister Mr O’Keeffe said the talks were constructive and signalled he was willing to work together in future in the interests of the schools.

“We felt that there was a good solid agreement to work together in the best interests of the whole school community and taking into account the concerns of the fee-paying Protestant schools,” said his spokesman.

“The minister made it clear that he would be more than willing to engage with them in the future for similar discussions.”

The Government is refusing to give any commitments to individual groups on spending cuts with a mini-budget planned for the start of next month and ministers warning “everything is on the table”.

The Orange delegation also described as helpful and supportive an hour-long meeting with Opposition leader Fine Gael’s Enda Kenny and his education spokesman Brian Hayes.