asked the Minister for Education if she is aware that national schools in some areas were used during the recent referendum campaign by Pro-Amendment groups as campaign headquarters; if the use of such schools was approved by her Department; and if her Department have any regulations governing the use of national schools by political parties or groups at times of elections or referenda.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Use of National Schools.
16.
I am not aware that national schools were so used. I received a letter on 7 September alleging that a particular school had been used by a local group as a headquarters for "the past couple of weeks".
Rule 9 of the Rules and Regulations for National Schools dealing with the use of national schools in connection with election and referendum purposes is as follows:
9. (1) At the contested Dáil Election or Presidential Election or Local Election or at a Referendum, any room in a school may be requisitioned by the appropriate Returning Officer for such election, free of charge, for the purpose of taking the poll.
(2) A schoolroom may also be used for public meetings at reasonable times outside school hours by candidates at an election of members of Dáil Éireann between the issue of the writ and the day of the poll under the provisions of section 30 of the Electoral Act 1923 (See Schedule III).
(3) No political meeting may be held nor may any political business be transacted in schools, whether vested or nonvested, except as provided in sections (1) and (2) of this rule, and no meeting in connection with a local election may be held therein.
It has not been established to my satisfaction that the terms of Rule 9 were contravened in the case of any national school during the course of the recent referendum campaign.
Is the Minister saying that if a school were so used it would not be within the various regulations she quoted — and I can give her some information on this matter — it would be wrongly used?
I would consider a board of management in the particular circumstances should not have given permission for the use of the school building as alleged. However, for the Deputy's information Rule 9 (3) to which I have referred does not mention a referendum. It is my intention to have this matter considered further so that it may be possible to give more explicit guidance in advance to boards of management in relation to referenda in the future.
Where people have a community interest that is legitimate and constitutional and if they are in need of a meeting place, does the Minister agree that there should be no objection to the school being made available to them?
No objection at all provided it comes within the rules.