Cowen urged to overrule O’Keeffe on school funding

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has called on the Taoiseach to overrule the Minister for Education's decision to cut funding to Protestant schools.

Speaking in the Dáil this morning, Mr Kenny asked Brian Cowen to explain why advice was sought from the Attorney General on the funding system that has been in place for more than 40 years.

Yesterday, the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin Dr John Neill accused the Department of Education of mounting a "determined and doctrinaire" effort to undermine fee-paying Protestant schools.

However, Mr O'Keeffe said the Attorney General had advised that continuing to give grants to Protestant schools while denying them to Catholic schools would be unconstitutional.

Mr Kenny suggested today that there was a mood within the Department of Education "to get at Protestant schools".

Mr Cowen, however, said Mr O'Keeffe has asked the schools to come forward with proposals "that deal in a targeted manner with particular problems" and he is committed to progressing such proposals.