asked the Minister for Education if it is now the policy of his Department not to include facilities for physical education in post-primary school buildings.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Physical Education Facilities.
5.
Because of the overriding need to reserve available capital resources for the provision of essential classroom and laboratory accommodation in post-primary schools, it has been found necessary to suspend for the present the scheme of grants towards the cost of sports halls or gymnasia in post-primary schools.
Will the Minister not agree that it was an ill-conceived scheme to reduce the standard of schools for the sake of saving money? The schools will cater for the post-primary education of children in a large area for generations to come. I am interested particulary in the proposed building scheme for Donegal. Why has the Minister reduced the standard of the schools there to a non-acceptable level? This has created much animosity in the area because people have been waiting for the provision of schools for many years. The Minister had a letter from parents with regard to this matter, a copy of which I have here.
I understand the concern of parents throughout the country that the facilities available in post-primary schools should be as comprehensive as possible. However, there is the necessity for making choices and establishing priorities within the amount available for capital purposes to my Department. At the moment I think the correct decision is that the money should be devoted to classrooms and laboratories rather than towards sports halls. Perhaps I might give the Deputy a figure of the cost involved: the amount of applications for post-primary schools would cost £170 million. This is a measure of the demand for new resources for post-primary schools.
I know that the Minister can work out a figure as easily as that. I am asking about schools which have been sanctioned for many years. In relation to the Donegal building programme generally and a Donegal school in particular, will the Minister state why he and his predecessor refused to meet a delegation from the Donegal Vocational Education Committee to discuss this but behind their backs he met the CEO and a Fine Gael councillor and had a political discussion about the same problem? They were furnished with a report which they brought back to the meeting of the vocational education committee and this created acrimony in the committee. This is relevant to the building of Donegal schools to which this question refers.
It is a separate matter and it deserves a separate question.
I should like to hear the Minister's comments on meeting a political deputation.
I am open to correction but I do not remember getting an application from the Donegal Vocational Education Committee to meet them. However, perhaps I am wrong about that. I certainly would not agree that I met any person on a political basis. The CEO of any vocational education committee is not a political person. I was asked to meet the CEO and the chairman or the vice-chairman of the VEC and I did that.
It was a purely political stunt. The Minister may not have been aware of what he walked into but he has done a great disservice to post-primary education in Donegal by this manoeuvering.
I do not accept that. I would ask the Deputy to accept that any chairman or vice-chairman of any VEC in the country and the CEOs are quite welcome to come to me.
The Minister and his predecessor were requested to meet a delegation from the same committee. I do not raise frivolous matters in this House. This is something of grave concern in relation to post primary education in Donegal. The building programme is in a mess at the moment. They wanted to discuss it with the Minister, to raise important matters. It was pointed out to them unequivocally that there would be no point served by their being received by the Minister. The Minister behind their backs received the CEO and a Fine Gael county councillor.
This issue is taking the form of a debate.
The Deputy is not in full possession of the facts or I presume is unintentionally misinterpreting them.
Was it the chairman or the vice-chairman? If it was the vice-chairman, did he have a request from the chairman that he should act on his behalf?
I do not remember. The Deputy is asking me something that is not related to this. This all happened a month or six weeks ago.
Is it the Minister's decision, in the interest of saving money, to build new post primary schools without laboratories and without an assembly hall and gymnasium? Is this not a ridiculous situation at a time when there is so much need for provision for our young people to take part in physical education?
This question is taking too long to dispose of.
Laboratories are still included.
Is the gynasium out?
Yes.
I am calling the next question.
It is penny wise and pound foolish.
Question No. 6. This is dragging on too long.
I do not think everybody would agree with the Deputy about that.
What effect will this change of policy have on the teachers being trained in Limerick at the moment for the employment envisaged? Surely it must have some effect?
I would want notice about that. The Deputy would need to put down a question about that and I would find out exactly what the position is.