asked the Minister for Education whether her Department have indicated to the County Dublin Vocational Education Committee that they will not sanction the purchase of a site for the construction of a new school at Swords, County Dublin; if her Department have indicated to that Vocational Education Committee that they should evict the community council from the former school premises at North Street, so as to use it for school purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Swords Vocational School.
223.
My Department are proceeding on the basis of incorporating the old vocational school building in Swords into an expanded school complex located on adjoining lands. It is estimated that, by proceeding in this way, there will be a saving of at least £1/4 million relative to the cost of building an entire new school on another site. The purchase of lands by the VEC, other than the lands adjoining the old vocational school, does not now arise and will not be sanctioned by my Department.
My Department have indicated to the VEC that they should make whatever arrangements are necessary so that the two rooms and associated facilities in the permanent building at the old vocational school, which are at present occupied by the community council, are available from next September for school purposes. Because of the anticipated extra numbers next September, there is no alternative to this course of action. There is no further room on the existing site for an additional two prefabricated classrooms and, even if the situation were otherwise, it would not be reasonable to accommodate students in yet more prefabricated classrooms whilst community groups occupied some of the permanent accommodation which was originally provided for the students' needs. It would not be acceptable, in the short term, to incur expenditure on more temporary classrooms than necessary or, in the longer term, to build new permanent accommodation duplicating the school accommodation occupied by the community council.