A Galway City secondary school has been rapped on the knuckles by the Department of Education for asking parents to pay a fee on acceptance of a place – in breach of legislation.

Coláiste Éinde in Salthill (St Enda’s) stated in offer letters issued in early November that “the annual administration charge of €200 must be paid on acceptance of this place”.

Andrew Ó Baoill, whose son received a first round offer from the school knew immediately that the fee demand was in breach of the 2018 Admissions to School Act. Section 64 of the Act “prohibits the charging of fees or seeking payment or contributions for an application for admission to, or for continued enrolment, in a school”. Exceptions are included in relation to fee charging secondary schools.

He wrote to the school to clarity the matter and in an email it was later confirmed that “the fee needs to be returned with the documentation to secure the place”.

Mr Ó Baoill, who describes himself as a local education activist and is the current chairperson of the Galway City Central branch of the Labour Party, said he contacted the Department of Education and the Galway Diocese which serves as patron of the school, as well as Labour TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin.

It was later raised in the Dáil with Education Minister Norma Foley by Deputy Ó Ríordáin, who did not name the school.

Parents or guardians who had accepted places at Coláiste Éinde then received a message from the school stating that the “payment request should have been asked for in a separate correspondence following your acceptance of a place in the school, and not at the time of acceptance”. The school indicated that the parents could have the €200 fee returned if they wished.

Minister Foley told the Dáil: “The school has stated that it does not charge an admission fee, and that this fee was never intended to be a fee for enrolment. The school has never refused admission to any student based on the fact that they can or cannot afford to pay. Further to this it stated that at no time has an offer of a place been withdrawn based on non-payment of a fee.”
This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read the rest of the article, see the December 15 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can support our journalism and buy a digital edition HERE.