asked the Minister for Education when tenders were opened in respect of the community school at Ardee, County Louth; the date on which the builder went on the site; and the date on which the school will open for students.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Community Schools.
11.
Mr. R. Burke
Tenders were opened on November 7, 1972. The builder entered on the site on February 19, 1973 and it is expected that building will be completed on March 1,1974.
12.
asked the Minister for Education when a decision will be made regarding the provision of a community school in Gweedore, County Donegal.
Mr. R. Burke
I am giving active consideration to the whole question of the future organisation of post-primary education in the Rosses/ Gweedore area and I will announce my decision as soon as possible.
Is the Minister aware that he is reported in the Derry People and Donegal News of Saturday, 2nd June, as having said, in the context of a report on community schools for Gweedore, that he would have a particularly sharp eye on the returns of the Presidential Election from Gweedore? Can we infer from this statement that the decision to provide a community school in Gweedore is dependent on whether or not the people of that area voted for the Coalition candidate in the Presidential Election?
Mr. R. Burke
The Deputy need not necessarily take that as accurate reporting of what I said, but of course the provision of school facilities there does not depend on that or any other election.
Deputies
Was it accurate?
Mr. R. Burke
It was not accurate.
Could the Minister tell the House whether or not an agreement was reached by representatives of the Department of Education and the Donegal Vocational Educational Committee a considerable number of months ago whereby not only would there be a community school in Gweedore but there would be a community school in Cloughaneely or Falcarragh, which is now in the course of erection and, simultaneously with these decisions, there would be sanction for the erection by the Donegal Vocational Educational Committee of a vocational school in Dungloe of no less standing or merit than either of the two community schools, and that that is part and parcel of a bargain already made, according to a senior official of the Department of Education?
Mr. R. Burke
The Department's original proposal for Derrybeg was that a community school be established there which would cater for the parish of Gweedore and also for that part of the parish of Cloughaneely which is regarded as fíor-Ghaeltacht, that is Gortahork. The people of Gortahork preferred to retain the parish boundary, and the vocational school there is now combining with Coláiste na Croise Naofa, Falcarragh, to form the Cloughaneely Community School, which will become operational in September next.
In these circumstances the Department felt there would not be sufficient potential available in the Derrybeg area to justify the provision of a community school with full facilities. The combined enrolment in the two post-primary schools in Gweedore in the current year is only 225. It was proposed. therefore, to establish a community school to cater for the wider area of West Donegal combining Gweedore and the Rosses. This area would produce a total enrolment of approximately 500, an enrolment which would ensure a reasonably full utilisation of the range of facilities which would be necessary. The Rosses' representatives were favourably disposed to the idea of a central school but were insistent on its being bilingual. The Gweedore people, on the other hand, want an all-Irish school located in Derrybeg. The position at the moment is that both sides are campaigning for separate developments.
The previous Minister in reply to a question from an Opposition Deputy said :
It is proposed to establish a community school in this area but the exact location of the school has not yet been decided.
It seems to me that the propor decision in this regard is to give a school to Gweedore and a school to Dungloe but how we will work out the exact arrangements will be decided in the future. I think this would be the answer. Whether the school at Dungloe will be the vocational school to which Deputy Blaney refers or a combination of that vocational school and the other private school remains to be decided.
There were very long negotiations on this matter. Have the Department of Education got a record of such discussions and agreements? Remember, it was an agreement—not a suggestion—that this would be the ultimate case. That was the condition on which the Donegal Vocational Educational Committee agreed to participate and to sink their identity in the community school that is now in the course of erection at Falcarragh. It was an agreement drawn out over two long discussions with a senior Departmental official.
We shall have to pass on from this question.
I just want to know whether that is so or not.
This was my question and I have been allowed to ask only one supplementary so far. The Minister has stated that the report was incorrect. Perhaps the Minister would inform us what, in fact, he did say? The Minister has on previous occasions stated that the media has been very good to him. On this occasion it appears that when the media reports something that is not quite so satisfactory——
That seems to be a separate question altogether.
It is not a separate question.
The question is when a decision will be made regarding the provision of a community school at Gweedore, County Donegal.
The Minister has stated that he was incorrectly reported and I am simply asking him what, in fact, he did say.
Do not mind that paper anyway.
Mr. R. Burke
I agree with Deputy Blaney on that remark and I think I have answered the question pretty exhaustively.
What did the Minister say?
Question No. 13.
(Interruptions.)
Political blackmail. That is what is involved.
This involves the spending of public money——
I have called Question No. 13. I have passed on, Deputy Faulkner. Deputy Faulkner is a reasonable man and I have given him every latitude in this matter, If he wants to deviate concerning an article in a paper in Donegal that is a different matter altogether.
The Ceann Comhairle will a agree that during all my term here in this House it has never been necessary to call me to order.
I expect the Deputy's co-operation in this matter.
I think in justice that I should be allowed to ask a question which I believe is relevant to the question I originally put down.
If it is a continuation of the supplementary that the Deputy has been engaging in, it is irrelevant at present.
It certainly is not irrelevant. It relates to the whole Question of the spending of public money. Teacher Education.
13.
asked the Minister for Education if it is his policy that teacher education will be the centre of any programme for the reform of the educational system.
Mr. R. Burke
The quality of education at all levels is influenced in large measure by the nature and quality of the education which teachers receive. Therefore, their education must always be given a high priority in educational matters. I can assure the Deputy that it will at all times be given the attention that its importance deserves.