Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 20 Feb 1990

Vol. 395 No. 9

Written Answers. - County Laois Post-Primary School.

Liam Hyland

Question:

269 Mr. Hyland asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the concern of parents and teachers in County Laois regarding the delay in announcing the timescale for the implementation of the rationalisation programme for post-primary schools in the county; and if, in view of the difficulties for teachers in planning their programmes and for parents in deciding on suitable schools for their children, she will outline her plans in this regard.

Minister for Education (Mrs. O'Rourke)

I am aware that parents and teachers in a number of post-primary centres in County Laois wish to see implemented decisions regarding the rationalisation of post-primary facilities taken by me or by my predecessor.

Decisions have been taken to establish community schools in Ballinakill and Mountmellick, amalgamating the existing post-primary schools in those areas. I hope to be in a position shortly to announce a time scale for implementation of those decisions.

Regarding Portlaoise, my Department is pursuing the possibility of rationalising post-primary facilities in Portlaoise. The need for rationalisation has been accepted by the managements of the Vocational and Christian Brothers' schools and I would hope that local agreement on the future provision of post-primary facilities in Portlaoise, on the basis of rationalisation measures, would be arrived at in the near future.