A Government decision to impose a levy on primary school pupils for water supplies will create huge additional financial problems for schools already struggling to survive on inadequate resources, the Labour Party said.
Parents and teachers reacted angrily last night after the Government announced each student will have to pay €3 for each student to cover water charges for last year, €3.50 for this year and €4 for next year.
From 2010, all schools will have to pay the full cost of water used on a metered basis.
"What the Minister for Education has effectively done is to direct that €3 of each capitation grant (rising to €4 in 2010) be diverted from educational purposes to local authorities to cover the cost of water," said Labour's education spokesman Ruari Quinn.
"What this means is that there will be even less funding for core educational activities and schools will be forced to turn to parents for yet more in the way of 'voluntary' contributions."
Mr Quinn said the Labour Party does not accept claims by the government that is obliged to impose water charges on schools under EU legislation.
"The government has simply been using the EU Water Framework Directive as an excuse for failing to act on this problem," he said.
Mr Quinn said there were still a number of uncertainties surrounding the Government proposal. Labour would insist that a full statutory instrument, detailing all aspects of the plan, be introduced and debated in the Dail, he added.
Under the retrospective charging arrangement announced last night after the Cabinet meeting, a school with 200 students will pay €600 in water charges for 2007, rising to €800 in 2009.
If actual usage as recorded by a meter would produce a lower charge than the flat rate the lower bill will apply.