asked the Minister for Education if he will make arrangements to increase from six to seven the membership of the management boards of community schools and give the extra seat to the Protestant community.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Community School Boards.
29.
I do not propose to make such arrangements. I feel that the philosophy underlying the Deputy's question is such as would not be accepted by any self-respecting group within the community.
Does the Minister not agree that a lot of heat and opposition have been generated about the whole idea of community schools because the minority religions are not represented in any shape or form in the proposals? Does he not also agree that if he had given what was requested it would have removed much of the opposition and these two schools, at least, would have gone ahead quickly?
I am aware a lot of heat has been generated by those who do not care—I will not use the words —for the minority in this country.
Hypocrisy. A scandalous statement.
Is it not a fact that the vocational education committee can appoint a Protestant to the board in Tallaght and Blanchardstown?
I have already given that reply. It is "yes".
Can the Minister indicate if that was done?
No.
Is it not sufficient for the Minister to answer questions and not to be given the assistance of a backbencher?
The Minister was never known to need assistance from anybody in replying to a question.
Can the Minister inform us if a Protestant was appointed?
The answer is "no".
Is it not obvious that a question such as this is political posturing of the worst type? Deputy Clinton is chairman of the vocational education committee and as such he could have seen that a Protestant was appointed if he so wished. He was very careful to get himself appointed.
It is quite obvious that the Minister for Education has a new Parliamentary Secretary to help him out.
Is it usual for the Parliamentary Secretary to help the Minister to reply to a question?
I want to ask the Minister if his Parliamentary Secretary, his real Parliamentary Secretary, conveyed to him the expression that he heard in Tallaght when he had a big meeting there? Is it not true that the secretary of the Department said he was unaware of any demand for representation from the minority religions and that the following week there were public speeches from a Protestant canon and from another member of the minority religions indicating great disappointment that they were not represented on the board?
As I have already said, I feel no person worth his salt would wish to be appointed to membership of the board unless he were appointed on the basis of what he could contribute to education in that area. If the Deputy was so concerned about this matter he had the opportunity of appointing a Protestant to the board. As I have stated already, a vocational education committee are entitled to appoint Protestants to the board.
But if they were outside the committee——
A vocational education committee are not confined to appointing a member of the committee to the board.
Is the Minister aware of how glum his colleagues are looking?
Question No. 30. There are 130 Questions on the Order Paper.
Will the Minister also reply to Mr. Brian Faulkner in the North?
Of course the whole purpose of Deputy Desmond's question, and his various other questions on this matter, is an attempt to make this look as if it were a sectarian issue, which it is not, and so give whatever assistance he can to the Unionists in the North. The Protestant community in the Twenty-six Counties are very well aware that I have on many occasions bent over backwards to ensure they get the education they desire.
Why did the Minister not put one on the board?