asked the Minister for Education if he will circularise the parent or guardian of every pupil now in the sixth class of every national school with a view to ascertaining how many children will avail of free secondary education in the month of September 1967.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Free Secondary Education.
34.
Mr. O'Malley
No. Particulars of enrolments in sixth classes of national schools are already available to me. The issue of a circular of the kind mentioned in the question would not give me any more definite information than that already available to me.
Has the Minister got a firm estimate of the numbers the Department believes would avail of free secondary education, up to the stage he has reached?
Mr. O'Malley
That is a very difficult question to answer. I would not hazard a guess at a figure. It is a difficult question.
The Minister will have to have an idea of the extra numbers who will avail of free education when he has to make an estimate of the cost for the next financial year.
Mr. O'Malley
That is true, but I should like to point out to the Deputy that it must be borne in mind that the question of increases in accommodation does not particularly arise in the first year but it builds up over a number of years as the increased numbers move to the school.
Will free transport be available for pupils from isolated districts to the nearest school?
That is a separate matter.
We will have it as a separate matter next week.
Mr. O'Malley
I do not know. This is one of the matters under consideration and I hope to arrive at a satisfactory solution of the transport problem. Transport is the big problem.
Mr. O'Leary
Can we take it that the planning going ahead in the Minister's Department at the moment will ensure that the arrangements for free education will reach beyond the "hazard a guess" stage?
Mr. O'Malley
In my reply to Deputy Corish, I thought I gave a reasonable answer. I cannot come up with a firm figure, but I can come up with this information, that we are crying out for free education for the children of the less well off section of the community.
Mr. O'Leary
Surely we should get beyond the "hazard a guess" stage in the matter?
Mr. O'Malley
I do not think I mentioned that in my reply or that Deputy Corish would agree with Deputy O'Leary's interpretation. I was asked a specific question and I could not give a specific answer.