asked the Minister for Education the present position regarding the erection of new schools at Rossmore, Clonakilty and at Baltimore, County Cork.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cork Schools.
47.
As I have stated on a number of occasions, it is my policy, in the educational interests of the children concerned, that smaller schools should, wherever feasible, be discontinued, and provision made for their pupils in larger schools to which they would be brought by transport services.
In the case of the schools at Rossmore and at Baltimore, my Department is in communication with the Very Reverend Managers with a view to implementing this policy in the most suitable way. I am endeavouring to have these cases brought to decision without delay.
Am I to assume from the Minister's reply that it is not proposed to erect schools at Rossmore and Baltimore?
These cases have been examined and certain proposals have been put forward to the Very Reverend Managers and are being considered at the moment.
Does the Minister not realise that parents in the districts are anxious that a school be erected in both places?
All I can tell the Deputy is that as far as I am concerned the arrangements made will be to the educational advantage of the children concerned.
May I ask the Minister a question? While agreeing with the Minister's thesis of establishing parochial schools, does he realise that the frequency with which he is making the kind of answer he made today is beginning to create suspicion? Is this not being used as an alibi for not building schools at all? Is this part of the Taoiseach's withdrawal of educational facilities?
It seems to me Deputy Dillon would like to have it both ways in this matter. He has regularly and consistently advocated in the House the policy which I am implementing but he is now trying to get a little political kudos out of it for which there is no basis at all.
There is no question whatsoever of any cutting back on school building and using this policy as an alibi, as Deputy Dillon put it. The Deputy must realise that to tackle this problem in the first place, one must start with the schools which are about to be built. There is no point in building schools on the one hand, and then saying we should not be building them. The logical step is to start with the schools that are due to be built. The reply to which the Deputy has referred relates to schools which are in the pipeline and about to be built. We have investigated in each case what should be done in the circumstances, and in some cases we decided that the building should be proceeded with, and in others that it would seem that the educational interests of the children would require us not to go ahead with building, but to amalgamate. There are various possibilities open to us in each case, and we deal with them after consultation with the managers concerned. There is no question whatsoever of there being any use made of this policy to cover up anything else in any way.
I accept that, but the Minister will remember he is under observation?
In such cases, does the Department make a contribution?
Yes, the position is that if a contribution is not asked for, if the manager does not wish to do so, the State will make a one hundred per cent contribution.