asked the Minister for Education if any progress has been made in reducing the number of substandard schools; if he will give the number of such schools which have not yet been attended to; whether any consultations have taken place with school managers on this aspect; and if he will indicate in general the main causes of the situation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Substandard Schools.
75.
With your permission, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 75 together.
I presume that the Deputy is aware that a special arrangement was introduced in September, 1967, whereby school managers were authorised to have urgently required improvements —including, where necessary, improved heating facilities—carried out at schools.
In very many instances managers proceeded—as it was intended they should—with arrangements for improving their schools without giving prior notice to the Department, and claims for grants are coming along only as the schemes are completed. I am aware that, in other cases, arrangements are in train to provide heating of a suitable standard.
Inspectors of my Department, in the course of their normal visits to the schools, take note of instances in which the standard of heating, or of other amenities, is unsuitable and, besides reporting the deficiencies to the Department, they bring them to the notice of the manager, where necessary, with a view to having them put right. Pending receipt of claims for grants and returns from the inspectors, it is not possible to state the number of cases in which schemes of improvement still need to be carried out.
I am satisfied that the steps which have already been taken and the consultations which have taken place with the Catholic Clerical Managers will result in a position in which all schools will be brought up to a satisfactory standard in a reasonable time.
The building of larger school units and the closing of small and unsuitable schools has contributed much towards the solution of the problem.