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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 13 Mar 1969

Vol. 239 No. 3

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Centre.

26.

asked the Minister for Education whether he has reversed his decision to have Lacken Cross vocational school, County Mayo, as the senior cycle centre for the area and Ballycastle secondary school as junior cycle centre; and, if so, the reason for altering the decision.

There was never any such decision; therefore, the question of reversing it does not arise. The fact of the matter is that everyone intimately associated with education in the area agrees that there is scope for only one post-primary school. The difficulty has been to secure agreement as to where it might be located. Because of failure to get such agreement and in order to avoid acrimony locally, it has been decided to retain both schools and to develop co-operation between them.

Is the Minister aware that on l2th December last the Minister for Education was quite emphatic that it was in the best interests of the boys and girls of this area they should go to Lachen Cross, the senior cycle centre? If the decision at that time was for the benefit of the children, how is it that it is now for the benefit of the children to go back to Ballycastle? Is this not a purely political decision in which the educational interests of the children are being tossed about——

It is the absolute opposite to that.

——at the request of the Minister for Health, Deputy Flanagan, who is coming into the area? Are the children's interests not being made subservient to political ends?

It is absolutely and solely in the educational interests of the children in that area, to put them into a town and society and not out on a bog.

The Minister for Education was going to put them out on a bog last December.

If the Minister for Education did change his mind it was because I was able to convince him that, for the sake of the children, the wrong thing should not be done.

I agree with the Minister that the proper place is Ballycastle but——

What are you arguing about if you are in agreement?

I am not in agreement that the educational interests of the children should be made a political football.

27.

asked the Minister for Education if he has altered his decision to discontinue Newport secondary school, County Mayo, as a senior cycle centre; and, if so, why.

The educational interests of the children demand that there could be no question of departing from the decision to close Newport school. The vast majority of the pupils are already being conveyed by very satisfactory transport services to Westport. When the existing pupils have taken their intermediate and leaving certificate examinations at the end of the current school year the Newport school will cease to operate.

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