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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Feb 1996

Vol. 461 No. 1

Written Answers - Knocklyon (Dublin) Site.

Seamus Brennan

Question:

142 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Education if she will defer any consideration of future use of her Department's land at Scholarstown Road, Dublin 16, pending fulfilment of her long standing commitment to consult Knocklyon post-primary committee and local representatives on the matter in advance of any decision; whether her officials have met officials of South Dublin County Council as promised in her letter of 15 May 1995; the nature and extent of the contact, if any, between the two groups of officials; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2433/96]

Seamus Brennan

Question:

143 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Education the plans, if any, she has to facilitate a meeting with Knocklyon post-primary committee and local representatives to discuss the substantail additional information provided in the Van Der Kamp report as promised in reply to a parliamentary question on 29 November 1995; the reason she has made a decision to accept the assessment of her independent consultant, Dr. Michael Bannon in advance of the promised meeting, such acceptance being contrary to the solemn commitment to consult and negotiate which she gave on a number of occasions between February 1994, and November 1995; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2452/96]

Seamus Brennan

Question:

144 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Education if she will provide a detailed analysis of the re-examination carried out for her by Dr. Michael Bannon in view of Knocklyon post-primary committee's response to the original Bannon report; if Dr. Bannon's re-examination included a full assessment of the Hendrik Van Der Kamp report; if so, if this assessment will be made available to the post primary committee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2453/96]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 142, 143 and 144 together. The Deputy will be aware that in early 1994 I accepted the recommendations of Dr. Bannon's report and decided not to proceed with the construction of a post-primary school for the Knockylon area. Following this decision, the question of the disposal of the site arose. A senior official from my Department met the county manager of South County Dublin Council, primarily to ascertain if that council had an interest in purchasing the site for other purposes. The response was negative.

Before proceeding further, I asked that the position regarding the need for a school be re-examined by Dr. Bannon, in the light of the Knockylon post-primary committee's response to the original report and the assessment of it carried out by Mr. Hendrik van der Kamp at the request of the committee. This examination is now completed and the conclusion is that no new information emerged in either the committee's response to the original report or in the assessment carried out by Mr. van der Kamp which would justify a change of decision. Dr. Bannon is satisfied that the latest information available was used to arrive at the conclusions and recommendations in his 1994 report and in his more recent review.

As I undertook in my reply to a question from the Deputy on 29 November last, a meeting to explain the outcome of the review can be arranged with officials from my Department. Any plans to dispose of the Scholarstown Road site will, of necessity, take some time and therefore the site will not be disposed of in the immediate future.

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