asked the Minister for Education the present position regarding the closing of one and two teacher national schools, which will cause great hardship to children, especially in the remote areas of Kerry.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Closing of National Schools.
35.
Investigations are being carried out in a number of cases into the question of amalgamating one and two teacher schools with neighbouring national schools. This is being done in County Kerry in common with other counties.
The closing of any national school resulting from these investigations will not cause any hardship to the children concerned since transport will be made available to bring them to and from the amalgamated school. In fact the vast majority of the children concerned will attend school under more favourable conditions than they do at present.
How long is this process of considering amalgamations to go on? Is it to operate to the exclusion of school building in perpetuity? That is the first supplementary question I want to ask. Secondly, when the Minister speaks of transport facilities being provided, does he intend to provide these transport facilities free or are we going to make primary education in this country, for the first time, available only to those who can afford to pay for transportation?
The answer to the first part of the Deputy's supplementary question is that there is no holdup in school building. In fact, in the current year we will, I think—I cannot be sure until the year is over— have built more schools than ever before in any year.
I am talking about the future.
As to how long this is to go on, naturally that depends on when we reach the end of the road as regards two-teacher schools. There are some two-teacher schools which will continue into the foreseeable future. We are building new two-teacher schools in certain areas, depending on local circumstances. I cannot say when the end of the road will be reached on this except that we will continue until we reach the end of the road. As regards the question of transportation, it will be provided free.