Pádraic McCormack
Question:18 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Education if she will consider the establishment of a college of music in the West of Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - College of Music for West.
Pádraic McCormack
Question:60 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Education if she has received an application for the establishment of a college of music in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Jim Higgins
Question:70 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education if she has received an application for the establishment of a college of music in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Jim Higgins
Question:71 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education if she will consider the establishment of a college of music in the West of Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 60, 70 and 71 together.
My Department has received proposals for the establishment of music schemes and colleges of music from a number of areas including Galway.
The question of approval of such initiatives must have regard to the merits of the case, the prevailing financial circumstances and the overall needs and priorities of the education sector generally.
My Department is at present conducting a general view of music schemes being operated by the vocational education committees. Pending finalisation of this review I am not in a position to give a response in relation to this issue.
I am disappointed that the Minister has not been able to give a commitment one way or the other. Is she aware that a campaign has been conducted in Galway during the past ten years for the provision of a school of music there? Is the Minister aware that buildings in the ownership of Galway County Council could be made available for a college of music? Is she aware that children from Galway City and county who wish to pursue a career in music have to go to Cork, Dublin or Waterford? Galway is the capital of the west and the cultural capital of Ireland and we are neglected culturally by the fact that there is no provision for a college of music there.
I am aware that there has been a campaign for the provision of a college of music. Since 1981 difficulties have arisen regarding the need to provide a music service in Galway. In 1982 and in 1983 the Department was again involved. A music programme began in 1985. In 1989 the chief executive officer informed the Department that there were severe financial difficulties with the Galway music scheme and that they were not in a position to continue with it. In 1992, my predecessor, Deputy Séamus Brennan, replied to Deputy Molloy saying there were no plans for the establishment of a school of music in Galway. There may be some difference of opinion as to whether Galway, Cork or Limerick is the cultural capital. There are proposals on my desk regarding three different schools of music.
There is a school of music in Cork.
The most sensible approach at this stage is to have a general review of the music schemes and I would ask the Deputy to await the result of that review.
Can the Minister indicate when that review will be completed? Will she not agree that there are 413 students studying music in the three colleges mentioned? On average 800 students per annum apply to the CAO/CAS for entry to the college of music, less than one-sixth of whom gain entry. It is not clear, therefore, that there is an urgent need for an additional college or school of music, particularly in the west, in view of the fact that the other provinces appear to be catered for?
We have just initiated this review. Having examined the long history and the efforts made to get Ministers to resolve this issue I felt it was time to review the music schemes operated by the vocational education committee.
Will the Minister not agree that Galway has an outstanding case in terms of location? It is exactly half way between the Donegal Gaeltacht and the Cork-Kerry Gaeltacht. It is on the edge of that rich reservoir of traditional music in Clare. It is the gateway to Connemara and it has many successful cultural movements, such as, Music for Galway, Macnas, Druid, the Taibhdhearc and so on. Given the particular ambience in Galway and in view of the possibility of jobs in music, a whole new Celtic music centre could be created in Galway, making it the Celtic capital of the world and complementing that unique ambience that is part and parcel of the scene in Galway.
All the points made by the Deputy make a strong case for Galway. They will all be taken into consideration as the review on the music situation within the vocational education committees is conducted within the Department.
I am concerned about the vagueness of the Minister's reply. Can the Minister be more specific about whether we will get a school of music for Galway? Can I have an assurance that what the Minister is telling the House is the correct position? Last month she told me one thing while she told her ministerial colleague and my colleague in west Galway something else and seriously misled me and the people of Galway who made representations about a seventh class in St. Patrick's national school. I would like to have an assurance from the Minister that that will not happen again and that on Friday next I will not hear my local Minister announce something different on local radio, as he did last month, despite the fact that I got the exact opposite information in the same week from the Minister's office.
Members should be careful about using terminology such as "misleading".
I have it in my file. If you wish to see a copy I can supply it to you.
Members should modify their language in regard to those allegations. The Minister to respond.
I have a letter from the Minister informing me that there will be no seventh class in St. Patrick's national school.
The Minister to respond without interruption.
I never intend to mislead the House.
Would the Minister not consider it was sharp practice and that she owes the people of Galway an apology?
In response to the question on music and in response to a long campaign which has probably been conducted under nine successive Ministers in the Department of Education I felt it was time to respond to requests not only from Galway but from other centres by having a review of requirements. Far be it for me to be prescriptive about the outcome of that review.
The Minister did not say anything about misleading me last month.