Today, at Question Time, I asked the Minister what provision he is prepared to make for the long-term development of vocational education in Kilkenny city and he replied as follows:
Provision for the long-term development of vocational education in Kilkenny city can be considered only in relation to the development of post-primary education generally with the city. Since this matter is still under discussion in the various bodies involved it is not possible to furnish the information sought by the Deputy.
That kind of answer from the Minister is just not good enough in a matter of such importance as this. The vocational education committee in Kilkenny is very concerned about the future development of the school in that city. So concerned are they that they sought to have a deputation received by the Minister, but the Minister refused to receive such a deputation. Because I am a member of the committee, because I am aware of the concern that exists and because all our efforts are proving futile, I felt it my duty, both as a member of the committee and as a Member of this House, to raise this matter on the Adjournment.
The Department's inactivity and its complete failure and reluctance to recognise the necessity and importance of developing this school is a grave mistake. Kilkenny is a rapidly developing city. The vocational education committee recognise that. They know the accommodation that will have to be provided in both the near and distant future to cater for the development of education in this city.
It is a fact, as the Minister knows, that Kilkenny has not got a regional college of technology. Because of that it is most essential that the facilities that are there by way of vocational and technical education should be developed to the full. When one finds that only £1,500 was allocated by the Department to both city and county for scholarships this year to the regional college, one must recognise the dependence that the whole Kilkenny region has on its vocational and technical education.
The Minister said in his reply today that the matter was still under discussion with the various bodies. I wonder what happened to the recommendations and the proposals which emanated from a meeting in April, 1968, a meeting of all those engaged in post-primary education in the area. Representatives of the Minister's Department attended that meeting and the decisions of the meeting are recorded and are available in the Department.
As a result of that meeting in April, 1968, a schedule of accommodation requirements was agreed upon by all concerned in post-primary education in the Kilkenny city area. These agreed plans were discussed fully with the Department's representatives and the Department approved in principle of the schedule of accommodation requirements drawn up for the immediate future and for the long-term future development of post-primary education in Kilkenny city. That was in April, 1968.
Three years later we find the Minister saying here today that the matter is still under discussion in the various bodies. I would ask the Minister to look up the minutes of that meeting in April, 1968, and his own Department's approval of the requirements agreed upon at the meeting.
I do not think classes should be conducted in a bicycle shed. But that is what is happening in Kilkenny city school. A bicycle shed has to be used as a classroom and it appears that it will have to continue to be used as a classroom in the years ahead because of the reluctance of the Department to give the green light to proposals sent up to the Department by the vocational committee. The position is that adequate accommodation will not be available in September when the school reopens.
Since these questions were tabled last week a letter was sent to the vocational committee indicating that, while the Minister could not receive a deputation, some officials of his Department would be available to receive such a deputation. The committee has been in constant communication by way of letters, the submission of reports, minutes of meetings and telephone calls to officials of the Minister's Department, all without any result. All the information of the needs and requirements has been made available to the Department. The committee, therefore, could see no point in a deputation meeting these same officials, remembering that no results have been got so far. Because of that the committee decided at their last meeting on 12th July to demand to be heard by the Minister himself and to put all the facts before him. I do not know if the Minister is aware that the committee set down seven deadlines recently for some answer to their proposals and that it was only on the sixth deadline that a refusal was given. The committee feel the Minister should have met them and listened to their case and if he had we would not be here tonight at this late hour.
The Minister in reply to a supplementary question of mine on Question No. 41 indicated that the Department had sanctioned a certain number of purchases put forward by the Kilkenny committee. The fact of the matter is that at present the ground sanctioned by the Department is not now available. When it was available there was not vacant possession and it is now only available as part of a much bigger area. This bigger area which is available at what both the committee and I feel to be a very reasonable price is adjacant to the school and to other educational establishments in Kilkenny city. It is a very central site and I would urge the Minister to examine the proposals and have the site purchased in its entirety. Sooner or later it will be necessary, if this site is not purchased, to relocate the whole school and take it outside the city away from existing post-primary schools which are co-operating with one another in exchanges of classes, et cetera.
I cannot impress too strongly on the Minister the importance of this because Kilkenny city needs a much bigger school and much better facilities at present. On the available site all these facilities can be provided not only for the immediate future but for the long-term future. In the interests of the children in the city I would urge the Minister to sanction this proposal and thereby ensure that the future development of vocational education will not be impeded by the fact that land for future development will not be available. As I have said, this land is adjacent to the vocational school, it is also adjacent to St. Kieran's College and it is within walking distance of other post-primary establishments in the city. The purchase of this site would provide for greater joint utilisation of facilities between all, if not most, of the post-primary schools in Kilkenny city.
I also asked the Minister today why he had not sanctioned the proposals of the County Kilkenny Vocational Education Committee to provide for mobile accommodation in Ballyhale, Johnstown, Thomastown. In reply the Minister said that the present accommodation in each of these centres was considered adequate to cater for the expected intake of pupils. All the facts and figures outlining the needs of these three areas were sent to the Department some time ago. It should be clear from these figures that the extra accommodation now sought will be necessary. The Minister's reply to a supplementary question today was to the effect that he does not agree the accommodation is necessary but that if a different situation arose in September he would have a look at it. What is the point of looking at a problem in September when pupils will be in overcrowded classrooms, or not in any classrooms at all?
In Ballyhale vocational school there are seven classrooms and it is anticipated that at least nine class groups will be necessary in the coming term. In Johnstown there are eight classrooms and it is anticipated from all the facts and figures available and sent to the Minister's Department that at the very minimum nine class groups will be necessary to carry out the work of the school. In Thomastown, where there are seven classrooms at present, it is anticipated that a minimum of ten class groups will be necessary to provide the necessary education in the coming term. These are very minimal requirements and I cannot see why the Minister cannot sanction additional mobile classrooms. The Minister has said that he will have a look at it in September but last year the committee were promised a classroom in July for the Mooncoin vocational school and told they would have it for the 1970-71 term, but that classroom has not yet been provided. A teachers' room was also promised for the September session but it was not provided until February of this year. Urgently needed toilet accommodation in Mooncoin was not made available until after the cessation of classes this term. That was also supposed to be provided last September. The Minister cannot blame me if I doubt his undertaking to have a look at it in September when experience has shown that accommodation promised last September has not yet been provided.
The toilet arrangements at Johnstown and Thomastown are totally inadequate and that fact has been notified to the Department. I should like to know if there is a change in the policy laid down by the Minister's predecessor in 1963 who said that there was no intention on the part of the Government to restrict the natural development of the educational work of the rural vocational schools. I should like to know if that policy has been changed. The Kilkenny committee in minutes on 12th January and 2nd February, 1970 and by letter on 26th January, 1970, begged representatives of the Department to come to Kilkenny to discuss with the committee plans for the future development of vocational education but the Department did not reply.
