Deputy Michael Finucane gave me notice of his intention to raise on the Adjournment the matter of the plans the Minister for Education has for the continuation of post-primary education at the Convent of Mercy, Foynes, County Limerick after January 1995 in view of the fact that the Sisters of Mercy are withdrawing from post-primary education in that area. Deputy Finucane has five minutes and the Minister has five minutes to reply.
Adjournment Debate. - Foynes (Limerick) School.
On 19 January last the principal of the Convent of Mercy in Foynes, County Limerick wrote to each parent outlining the very difficult and painful decision they had to make in withdrawing from the post-primary school at Mount Trenchard, Foynes. Their reasons were: the shortage of religious personnel and the ongoing financial drain on their congregation, the grants provided by the Department of Education are totally inadequate; and the refusal of the Department of Education to provide any grant towards the maintenance of the prefabricated buildings.
This school was first established in 1958 when a boarding school was opened. In 1967 the local secondary school at Shrulawn, Foynes with the advent of free education amalgamated with the Convent of Mercy at Mount Trenchard. The school is ideally situated overlooking the River Shannon in a rural sylvan setting. It is an ideal location conducive to a good education environment and has a proud academic record. About 250 pupils attend the school. The school services a catchment area embracing Foynes, Loughill, Ballyhahill, Kilcolman and Shanagolden. All these schools have a total schoolgoing population in the 6th class at present of 94 pupils eligible for post-primary education in the area.
The school is situated near Foynes, a thriving port which is the industrial hub of the area providing employment for about 300 people both full-time and casual workers on the docks. The Sisters of Mercy have made a great contribution to education in Ireland and especially at Mount Trenchard, Foynes. The local community are most appreciative of the great contribution the Sisters have made.
Their difficult decision to withdraw has now created uncertainty in the local community. They will still welcome 1st year pupils in September. Therefore, an early positive decision by the Minister will help to dispel any uncertainty that parents may be feeling at present.
On Saturday, 16 February the parents and teachers invited public representatives to attend a meeting at Foynes. The meeting was addressed by various public representatives including myself who stated they would support them in their efforts to ensure continuation of post-primary education at Mount Trenchard, Foynes.
They have formed a committee to ensure that this objective is achieved. I would earnestly request the Minister for Education to do her utmost to see that the proud education record of Mount Trenchard in Foynes is maintained by ensuring her commitment to the continuation of the post-primary school at this location. I thank the Minister for her attendance and for listening to my comments.
I cannot help but remark, a Cheann Comhairle, that here we have two Deputies sitting side by side, one advocating one measure and one going against the same measure.
That is democracy.
Exactly, and I am delighted. It goes to show that there are different points of view on matters such as this. It is not just an open and shut case.
It is a bit like closing post offices.
Let me join with Deputy Finucane in praising the order. I have gone back over the record and it is indeed a proud one with a very strong commitment to education. I also want to thank them for properly and courteously informing the Department four years in advance that they were going to pull out. They have every right to do so if they wish; it is a voluntary private secondary school. They own the property and the nuns feel their mission in the area of education is coming to an end. Sometimes people ask why an order should leave. An order has every entitlement to leave if they so wish. It is fair that, representing the Department of Education, I should put on record our praise and appreciation of the nuns for their contribution to education.
This is a classic case. There are four schools in that post-primary area. There is the one of which we spoke, the Mercy Secondary School in Foynes, the vocational school in Shanagolden, Scoil Mhuire Secondary School in Askeaton in connection with which Deputy Finucane featured recently in the paper, and the Salesian College in Pallaskenry. The present school population, apart from boarders, is 750. In a couple of years' time there will be 500. We should let those facts sink in.
Yesterday the authorities of those schools visited the Department and the Department's plan for rationalisation was laid out clearly for them. There will not remain four post primary schools. That would be ridiculous. There is a need for rationalisation within west Limerick. I urge Deputy Finucane not to get himself tied up with supporting the four separate schools because that will not be an issue. The plans remain now to be discussed and talked through.
If the Deputy has the best interests of the young people at heart with regard to the varied curriculum they will need, practical and academic, to equip them for the future, he will accept that that cannot be achieved in four separate schools with a small pupil enrolment in each. The authorities simply would not be able to provide the teachers, the range of subjects and the range of decent facilities that post-primary education demands. I share the Deputy's respect for the Mercy nuns in Foynes. My thanks to them for announcing in good time that they are leaving their mission in Foynes. The commitment now is to seek the consensus within the west Limerick area on the best options for the provision of post-primary education in the future. Go raibh míle maith agat.