The State pays nearly €2 million in salaries for nearly 60 chaplains in universities, third-level institute and teacher-training colleges, it has emerged.
The chaplaincies are filled by clerics hired directly by the institutions or contracted from the local diocese, according to the Department of Education.
The information was given by the Department following a series of questions by Green Party Dún Laoghaire TD, Mr Ciarán Cuffe.
Twenty-six chaplains are employed by the seven universities in the Republic, along with the National College of Art and Design, St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, and Mater Dei Institute of Education at a cost of €1,038,902.
Twenty-three of the 26 chaplains working in the institutes of technology are paid for by the State, at a cost of €702,546.
The Department of Education pays €63,405 for three chaplains in the remaining colleges of education, Mr Cuffe was told.
Last night, Mr Cuffe said he did not have a problem with the availability of chaplaincy services on college and university campuses, but the Exchequer should not pay them. The spending on chaplaincy services is "in stark contrast" to the lack of investment in on-campus crèche facilities for parent students.
"Dublin Institute of Technology has six chaplains and eight counsellors, but there is no crèche," he told The Irish Times last night. "A clear distinction should be drawn between counselling services which look after the emotional needs of students and chaplaincy services, which tend to the spiritual and religious needs.
"I knew that there was direct funding, but I was surprised at the extent of it - particularly when it proved so difficult to get this information out of the Department of Education.
"I am very happy for chaplaincy services to be provided in colleges, but the State should not be paying for them. If the churches want to provide them themselves then they could do so and I wish them luck," he declared.
In a Dáil reply last month, the Minister for Education and Science, Ms Hanafin, said chaplaincy services were a matter for each college and university.
