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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 17 Dec 1980

Vol. 325 No. 8

Written Answers. - Meath School Accommodation.

80.

asked the Minister for Education if he is aware that because of a lack of accommodation in their local school at Blackcastle, Navan, County Meath, a family of children have to travel a long distance to Cannistown National School outside Navan and that they were directed to do so by the school management; and if he will state (a) if these children should have been accepted originally in their local school at Blackcastle in September 1980 and (b) why he has not provided additional accommodation at Blackcastle National School to enable the school authorities there to accept all eligible pupils from within their area; and if he will provide free transport for the children in question to the school outside Navan which they are now required to attend.

I am aware of two children who were unable to gain admission to Blackcastle NS when they applied in May last. They were referred by the principal to Scoil Mhuire NS and asked to report back to Blackcastle if they failed to gain admission to Scoil Mhuire. They did not report back to Blackcastle and my understanding is that they enrolled subsequently in Cannistown NS. I have no information as to whether they sought enrolment in Scoil Mhuire. The children could not be accepted in Blackcastle when they applied as the classes to which they sought admission were full.

With regard to the provision of additional accommodation, a prefabricated classroom extension was provided at Blackcastle as from September 1980 and a new 16 room school has been sanctioned and is under construction at Abbeylands, Navan, which is close to Blackcastle. It is expected that this school will be in a position to enrol pupils in September 1981 and thereby ease the pressure on school accommodation in the area.

The question of the provision of free transport for the children in question does not arise in the circumstances which I have outlined.

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