asked the Minister for Education if the annual report of her Department has been laid before Dáil Éireann in each of the last ten years, within three months of the expiration of each year as is required by section 10 of the Intermediate Education Act (Ireland) 1878.
Written Answers. - Departmental Report.
151.
While I am conscious of the need to present my Department's annual statistical report to Dáil Éireann as soon as possible after the conclusion of each academic year, it has not been possible to meet the deadline specified in the Act referred to by the Deputy. Much of the material in the report is compiled from the annual statistical return which is completed by the various schools and colleges throughout the country. Given the amount of work involved in the editing and processing of statistical returns from over 4,000 primary post-primary and third-level schools and colleges, a process complicated by the late return of data from a number of institutions, and the late response to queries from my Department in respect of incorrect statistical returns, it is not possible to publish the annual statistical report within the time-frame specified by the Act. I should also point out that a period of at least six months has been required for the typesetting, proof-reading and actual printing of each report. Following the recent purchase of a desk-top publishing system by my Department, I am hopeful that arrangements can be made for the speedier printing of the report and thereby at least partially reduce the delays experienced up to now.