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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 17 Nov 1965

Vol. 218 No. 11

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Building of Vocational Schools.

72.

asked the Minister for Education if he will state for the guidance of vocational education committees whether they are to cease planning the building of further schools or assessing further needs for an indefinite period until the survey at present being made in his Department is completed.

There is no good reason why vocational education committees should cease planning the building of further schools or assessing the further educational needs of their areas pending completion of the survey now being made by my Department. At various stages in the planning of particular projects committees are being advised that when the survey has been completed in so far as their area is concerned, some amendment may be necessary to the amount and type of accommodation to be provided in that area.

I am ensuring that the survey will be completed as expeditiously as possible, especially in regard to those areas for which new vocational schools or extensions to existing schools have been proposed.

May I ask the Minister when the survey is likely to be completed in respect of county Dublin in regard to which he was supplied with all the data by the vocational education committee some months ago?

The Deputy is under a misapprehension which I thought I had cleared up before. The survey carried out by the vocational committee is a survey of requirements for vocational education in County Dublin. The survey being carried out by the Department of Education is a survey of requirements of post-primary education in the whole country, and as far as County Dublin is concerned, it relates to post-primary education, which brings in factors other than those taken in by the survey of the committee of which Deputy Clinton is a member. I cannot say when the information the Deputy has requested will be available but I can tell him the questionnaire on which it is based was sent out in September and more than 90 per cent of the replies have been received to date.

In view of the fact that vocational education committees cannot take part in a post-primary survey of this kind, does it not seem to be a waste of time to be making a survey of vocational needs if they are to be related to post-primary education and not just to vocational education?

It is not a waste of time but it does not give a complete picture of what is required. What has been done by the vocational committee in County Dublin cannot give a complete picture of post-primary requirements but it does give a complete picture of portion of the requirements.

Does the Minister not agree that it is a waste of time to be trying to purchase sites?

No; I do not agree.

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