asked the Minister for Education the criteria for establishing the local contribution in respect of the provision of new national schools.
37.
Ceisteanna—Questions . Oral Answers . - New National Schools .
36.
asked the Minister for Education the legislative authority for seeking varying local contributions in respect of the provision of new national schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
: With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 37 together.
Authority for seeking varying amounts of local contribution, up to one-third of the cost, in respect of the provision of new national schools, is contained in Rule 42 of the rules for national schools. The circumstances of each area are taken into account in considering the appropriate amount of contribution.
Rule 42 does not set out formal criteria for the establishment of the amount of the local contribution in the case of each individual school.
: Could the Minister indicate what criterion he has used in recent years in respect of the local contribution?
: The only criterion I can use is the sense of the regulation, 42 (2). In exceptionally poor localities the Minister may make a larger grant than the normal two-thirds of the cost if he is satisfied on consideration of the circumstances of the people of the district that one-third of the cost of the works cannot be contributed locally.
: Would the Minister not consider reviewing the practice whereby up to now he has refused to make available in the House details of any of the grants paid to local school authorities in respect of primary schools?
: This question has come up over the years and it has been the established practice of the Department not to so reveal, for obvious reasons.
: I can hardly think of a worse reason for doing something than that it is the established practice of the Department. Can the Minister not give us a better reason than that?
: I would think that, if the communis sensus of the Department over the years and of the various Ministers over the years is that this was the best procedure, then there must have been some merit in it.