Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 Mar 1995

Vol. 450 No. 6

Written Answers. - National School Closures.

Mary Coughlan

Question:

118 Miss Coughlan asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the normal procedures for the closing of national schools are ineffective; if staff need to report for duty and the roll called before a decision is made to close a school; and if she will introduce new procedures to deal with such matters. [5536/95]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

Day to day operational issues of this type fall within the ambit of the board of management as the body charged with the direct governance of the school. My attention has not been drawn to any particular difficulty in relation to how boards of management determine school closures. Clearly, where the board takes a decision to close a school in advance of the commencement of the school day, the issue of reporting for duty or roll-call does not arise.

There are other circumstances, such as the failure of the heating system, which cannot be predicted and may result in the closure of the school after the school day has commenced. The roll may or may not have been taken at that stage. Again the decision to close rests with the school authority based on its assessment of the problem presented and my Department does not impose any requirement in relation to taking the roll. However, where closure for health reasons arises, the rules require the board to consult the medical officer of health before a decision is reached.

Ultimately, schools are required to be in operation for a minimum of 183 days in the school year. The rules provide me as Minister with power to abate this requirement should a school fail to reach that minimum owing to some exceptional cause. I have no plans at present to introduce any new procedures for dealing with school closures.