Paul McGrath
Question:177 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education the number and venue of meetings which she had with County Meath vocational education committee to discuss proposals for a new second level school for Dunboyne, County Meath.
Written Answers. - Dunboyne (Meath) School.
Paul McGrath
Question:178 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education if she has received correspondence from the parents action group in Dunboyne, County Meath, expressing their preferred types of secondary schools for the area; and the reason these preferences were ignored.
Paul McGrath
Question:179 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education the meetings she has had with the parent groups in the Dunboyne area, County Meath to discuss the proposed new second level school for the area.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 177, 178 and 179 inclulsive, together.
I refer the Deputy to my reply to Priority Question No. 7 answered on Tuesday 1 March 1994, which sets out in detail the criteria used in determining the type of management for new greenfield schools.
In June 1993, I met a deputation from Dunboyne which included representatives of the Local Action Committee to discuss the provision of a second-level school in Dunboyne. I also received correspondence from this group concerning the matter, including the issue of the preferred type of school for the area. The primary concern expressed by the Action Group was that a school would be in place by September 1994 — they did not indicate undue concern about the type of management structure the school would have.
I did not personally meet members of County Meath vocational education committee to discuss proposals for a new school in Dunboyne. However, officials from my Department recently met a sub-Committee of the vocational education committee to discuss arrangements for the opening of the school in temporary accommodation next September. I am most anxious that the school will commence operations in September in view of the fact that a significant number of parents in the Dunboyne area were unable to obtain places for their children in existing schools.