asked the Minister for Education the plans he has for the building of a new vocational school at Navan, County Meath, in view of the condition of some of the pre-fab buildings attached to the present school.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Navan Vocational School.
14.
Approval has been conveyed to the County Meath Vocational Education Committee for the provision of new vocational school buildings at Navan with a view to increasing the capacity of the school to 800 places. The present prefab buildings would, in the process, be replaced. The question of whether to erect the new buildings by way of extension of the existing school or to erect a new building on another site has to be decided in consultation with the vocational education committee.
Is the Minister aware that the question of the site of the new school or the provision of an extension was decided by the previous Government in favour of a completely new school? Would he state why he put this matter into the melting pot again and how long will it take him to make up his mind on this matter, which was raised in the Dáil before?
I am delighted the Deputy raised this matter here. I want to put it on the record that the last time we referred to this matter here Deputy Bruton made a false statement about the vocational school in Navan. I have had the files examined carefully and no decision has been recorded in the Department of Education during the consulship of my predecessor or since about the location of that school on the new site on the Trim Road.
Is the Minister aware that it was clearly understood——
"Understood"—that is a different word from "decision".
——by all parties involved that this school would be provided on the new site. I do not have access to the files, as the Minister has, so I have no means of contradicting him as to what he says is or is not on the files. But it is my understanding, and also the understanding of the vocational education committee, that a decision was taken that this school would be provided in the form of a new school.
If the Deputy's memory was a little better he would remember he got two memos from the Department of Education and in neither memo was there a decision to build the vocational school on the new site on the Trim Road. Therefore, the statement Deputy Bruton made in this House that a decision was taken by the previous Government to build the school on an extensive site on the Trim Road is false.
When does the Minister propose to make up his mind on the matter?
I have already answered that in the general answer to the question.
How long does he propose to wait before he makes up his mind about providing this new school?
I have already made up my mind with regard to the siting of the school, but on certain conditions. There is the question of the existing school, which is valued at over £200,000. If we are going to build a school on the new site on the Trim Road we will have to sell first the £200,000 school in Navan. The position is exactly as it was when Deputy Bruton was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education.
Why is the Minister taking so long to make up his mind on this matter?
I am not taking an unconscionably long time to make up my mind seeing there has been such confusion in what I inherited.
That is not true.
It is true.
Why will the Minister not make up his mind? He has been nearly nine months in office?
When I make statements to this House they will not be false statements; they will be true statements and statements of fact.
Time will tell.
In view of the imputation cast——
It is not an imputation, it is a statement of fact. A false statement was made in this House by Deputy Bruton.
In view of what the Minister said about what I said on a previous occasion, I would like to make it clear that what I said, and what I always say in this House, was based on good faith. My statement on that occasion was based on my understanding of the facts and was made in good faith.
Faith without good works is dead.
I did a great deal more for education in Meath than the present Minister has done.