Authority for the council to charge fees for the recovery of costs is provided under the Education and Training Act 2020. However, in a case taken earlier this year by the Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA), the High Court found that the Act only allows for the council to fix fees in relation to some of its functions. There is a significant gap between what the council is required to do and what the Act allows it to charge for. The gap is unintentional and needs to be addressed. The policy is that the council should be able to recover the costs of its mandatory functions from teachers. The bill amends the Act to give effect to that policy.