asked the Minister for Education when the Dublin Advisory Council on Education last met; and the recommendations it has made to him.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Advisory Council on Education.
1.
The Dublin Advisory Council last met on 2nd November, 1977. It would not be in accordance with the normal practice in relation to such bodies to disclose details of their proceedings or recommendations. I would not consider it inappropriate for me, however, to say by way of information that matters dealt with at the last meeting of the council related to the following areas: the Donahies, Ayrfield/Grange, Fox-rock, Donnycarney, Clondalkin, South Finglas, Rathcoole/Newcastle/Saggart, Shankill, Ballybrack, Ballyroan/South Ballyboden, Killinarden and Old Bawn.
The reply is as full as might be expected, but would the Minister not accept that it is not at all democratic enough to have important decisions about post-primary education being made on the advice of an organisation which does not include any consumer representatives and whose recommendations are never published?
I would not accept that the decisions as made are the final decisions. The final decisions rest with the Department of Education.
The Minister may not have understood my supplementary question, Would he not agree the public would be in a better position to judge the value of the Minister's decisions if the public could also see the quality of the advice made available to him?
I presume the Deputy knows I am open to advice from all areas and I would welcome advice from the Deputy or from anybody else who has an interest in a particular educational problem in this specific area.