asked the Minister for Education when the recommendations of the Kennedy Report on industrial schools will be implemented.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Industrial Schools Report.
14.
As part of the consideration which is being given to the Report, it was necessary to call for the views of interested bodies on the recommendations contained therein. Most of these views have been received and are being examined. It is hoped that all the views will be received shortly and that the examination of them will be completed without any undue delay.
In the meantime action is being taken to implement many of the recommendations in the report.
(i) The Remand Home and Place of Detention at Marlborough House, Glasnevin is being replaced by a new Training School at Finglas under the control of the De La Salle Order. This school which will be open next September, will serve as a short-term place of detention where instruction and training will be given by a specially qualified staff.
(ii) Tenders will be invited shortly for the erection of new modern style training school on a 60 acre site in County Dublin to replace St. Conleth's, Daingean.
(iii) An intensive course in child care will be held next July for the senior members of the staffs of reformatory and industrial schools.
(iv) Plans are being prepared for modern group home units, each to cater for approximately 15 children, which will be erected at selected industrial schools.
Is the Minister aware of two things: first, that District Justice Kennedy has expressed her own extreme dissatisfaction about the conditions under which she is compelled to operate; secondly, the report in a national newspaper this morning to the effect that industrial schools run by religious orders are refusing admission to children who are sent and require institutional care of this kind on the grounds that they feel there is a crisis situation and the Government should be forced to take action about it?
I have seen this report and there are a number of inaccuracies in it. It is not true that religious authorities are refusing to accept young people into these schools. It is stated in this article also that the Sisters of Mercy who cater for young people have no vacancies in their institutions. This morning I had my Department make inquiries and I am informed that the Sisters of Mercy have vacancies. It is also stated that the new detention centre in Finglas is due to be managed by the Christian Brothers; it is not the Christian Brothers who are to manage it; it is the De la Salle Brothers. The reluctance on the part of the Brothers to assume control until the Government act on the recommendations is given as the reason why the school is not yet opened. That also is not a fact. I did note that a district justice stated yesterday or at least she is reported to have stated that all the industrial schools are full. This also is not a fact, and while it is not the function of my Department to arrange for committals to industrial schools I am certain that if the court consults my Department in any case accommodation will be found for the children concerned.
Would the Minister be able to elaborate on his previous reply in relation to Letterfrack Industrial School, the principal of which wrote to me and told me that in view of the recommendations they have decided to close Letterfrack Industrial School in the very near future, and that is a few months ago?
I informed the Deputy on that occasion that there was a statutory obligation on the Brothers or on any of those who are in charge of these schools to notify my Department six months prior to any intention of closing a school. I have not received any such notification from them since. I informed the Deputy at that stage I had not got any notification and since then they have not informed me that they intend closing the school.
Would the Minister be good enough to ask them why they wrote and told me there was no purpose in my visiting the school, that they were accepting the recommendation of the report and closing in the very near future—those are the words they used; I have the letter. I think it is incumbent on the Minister to ask them what they mean.
No, I do not think so. The Deputy states that the Brothers have informed him that they intend closing this school but I have just told the Deputy again that they must notify me six months prior to their closing the school if such is their intention, and they have not done so. I do not see why I should inquire from them whether or not they intend to close the school when there is a legal obligation on them to notify me.
I am concerned to know what will happen. They intend closing although they may not have taken the trouble to so inform the Minister.
I have received no intimation from them that they intend closing the school.
Ask them.
The Deputy should ask them.
Deputy O'Connell is a member of this House. He is offering this information to the Minister but the Minister has no intention of doing anything about it?
If there were a situation where the brothers could, of their own volition, close the school at any time, I could see a case for inquiring from them as to whether they intend closing the school but the position is that they must give me six months notice of any intention to close the school. They have not done so. Of course, there is nothing to prevent me inquiring from them as to whether they intend closing but I see no particular reason why I should so inquire.
Question No. 15.
Since I raised this question perhaps I might be allowed one more supplementary. The Minister said earlier—I am quoting from memory—that it is not his function to send children to industrial schools but surely it is his function to find places for children who are sent to industrial schools?
I informed the Deputy that if the court consulted my Department, we would make it our business to find accommodation for the children concerned. What I want to point out is that despite what has been said, there are vacancies in our industrial schools. Perhaps I should point out also that during the past 20 years the number of children in these schools has fallen from 6,000 to fewer than 2,000: also, there is a drop in the number of such schools from 52 to 28. The reason for this decrease in numbers can be attributed firstly to improved social and economic conditions and, secondly, to the Adoption Act of 1952.
I want to make it clear, firstly, that there are vacancies and secondly, that the Government and my Department are very concerned about improving the lot of children in industrial schools. Quite recently the maintenance grant for these children has been doubled. One of the major recommendations of the committee of inquiry into reformatory and industrial schools systems was that schools should cater for both boys and girls in order that families in need of care could remain together on committal by the court. Many school managers are in favour of these recommendations and are proceeding with the rationalisation of accommodation to enable boys and girls to be maintained in the same institution. As I have already mentioned in my reply, there are plans on the drawing board for a model group home unit to accommodate 15 children of both sexes on sites offered by school managers and the schools which have been selected for the new group units are at Killarney, Limerick, Moate and Drogheda. Therefore, it can be accepted that we are very much concerned with improving the lot of these young people and that very worthwhile changes have been made in recent times.
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply, I propose to raise the matter on the Adjournment.