asked the Minister for Education how the £12,000 already spent on the erection of Carrigaline vocational school, County Cork, was used; and what is the latest position regarding its erection.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - East Cork Vocational School.
41.
So far as I am aware, only £1,255 has been spent to date in connection with the provision of a vocational school in Carrigaline. This amount has been spent on acquiring a site and paying architect's fees.
Further policy in connection with the provision of this school is under consideration in my Department as part of the general survey of the needs of the country in the matter of post-primary education.
Is the Minister aware that Cork County Vocational Committee and Cork County Council have requested his Department to receive a deputation in connection with this scheme? Is he further aware that in reply to the request for a deputation, he asked the vocational committee to arrange for talks to be carried out between them and the authorities of the existing post-primary schools in the area? Is he aware that the members of that committee are not aware of any such facilities existing in the area and therefore no such discussions can take place? In view of that would he not agree to see the deputation at the earliest possible date?
I am aware of the situation as outlined by the Deputy. But I am also aware there is a vocational school at Passage West, seven miles away, as well as a secondary school at Passage West and a secondary school at Crosshaven, six miles away. These are the schools with which immediate consultation should take place. The provision of post-primary education in the area concerned will largely depend on what can be furnished by the existing schools. It is in connection with this that I asked the committee to have their discussions and to make an assessment of what the position in the area was. I would be quite prepared to meet the committee when they have this assessment and can talk fairly intelligently on the problem.
The position seems to be that Carrigaline vocational school would cater for an area completely on the other side of Carrigaline, whereas the existing facilities in Passage West would cater for those on the coastal side. Therefore, the children in the other area would be denied post-primary education of any sort. It would be a good idea if the Minister would receive a deputation and discuss with them in broad outline what he has in mind. Perhaps they would then be satisfied to go back and discuss the matter with these school authorities.
I have no objection in principle to meeting any such deputation. But I think it would be a waste of their time and to some extent a waste of my time if we discussed these matters and the deputation had to go back and do what I asked them to do in the first place.
This would not arise if travelling facilities existed. These schools the Minister has already mentioned would not cater for the people the Carrigaline vocational school was intended to cater for until such time as travelling facilities were available.
I suppose there is some misunderstanding about what is involved here between the committee and myself. In those circumstances, I would be prepared to meet the deputation and straighten that out.