Public funds + private fees = the fairest deal taxpayers can get

ON the face of it, it’s a tempting proposal. Withdraw public money from fee-paying schools so the taxpayer no longer has to pay for their teachers’ salaries.

Save €77.5m each year and use it for a more worthy purpose than subsiding the education of the rich.

At present the Department of Education pays all teachers' salaries. However, unlike Britain and the United States, the government doesn't usually own the schools. The majority of schools are owned by the private sector, in the form of religious orders or community trusts.