Minister: Places in public system for private-school pupils

The Minister for Education says there is enough capacity in public schools for private students whose parents can no longer afford the fees.

Half of the country's top private schools witnessed a drop in enrolment at the start of the last term, as the recession bit.

Some grind schools have seen numbers fall by as much as 30%.

Minister Batt O'Keeffe says the Government will not cut funding to private schools in the budget.

"The pupil-teacher ratio is going to be maintained and I would understand that that would apply to fee-paying schools as well," he said.

"We have obviously capacity within the non-fee paying schools (and) we will be adding that that capacity."