Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 18 Nov 1999

Vol. 511 No. 2

Adjournment Debate (Resumed). - School Placement.

Mr. Shatter

For many years the community in Knocklyon has been awaiting the construction of the Knocklyon post-primary school. In the 1997 general election, the two Government parties, Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats, promised the school would be built and opened by September 1998. This became September 1999 and then September 2000.

Some weeks ago, the Minister for Education and Science confirmed that the school would open in September 2000 and that the project was at an advanced stage. The difficulty that now arises is that there are parents, in the Knocklyon area who must make arrangements to ensure that children attend post-primary education starting next September. These parents are not all totally convinced the school will open in 2000 and they now find themselves in a position whereby children offered places in other second level schools within a one to three mile radius of Knocklyon are requiring the parents, in the context of private education, to pay an advance deposit to secure a place for the year 2000. Many parents who want their children to attend Knocklyon community school find themselves compelled, due to the absence of post-primary schools in the local community, to place their children's names down for private schools within a reasonable distance of the Knocklyon area.

The difficulty is that neither a board nor a principal has been appointed for the running of the community school. Parents cannot place their children's names down as potential students to attend at the school in September 2000. No assurance can be given to them in writing that the school will be built and open or that places will be available to their children. Not only is there no board or principal, no teachers have been recruited and it is not known if any difficulties will be experienced in this context.

Will the Minister of State clarify the position? Will immediate steps be taken to appoint a principal and a board of management? Will arrangements be put in place to enable parents to place their children's names down for attendance at the school at the start of the next academic year? Will an administrative system be put in place to confirm places in the school to parents who wish their children to attend?

This is extremely urgent for many parents and the difficulties in which many now find themselves is that, even if the school opens, because of the uncertain position, they may find themselves already having paid non-refundable deposits to other schools to secure places. This is an urgent issue which needs to be addressed before the House goes into recess for Christmas.

Mr. Treacy

Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil don Teachta as ucht an ábhar seo a ardú. Tá mé lán-sásta eolas cruinn beachta a chur faoi bhráid na Dála ar an ábhar seo. I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter as it affords me the opportunity of outlining to the House our Department's arrangements for the enrolment of pupils in the new community school in Knocklyon.

Normally it is the function of a board of management to develop, promulgate and effect an enrolment policy. In the case of a new community school on a greenfield site, it is first necessary to establish trusteeship. This is followed by the appointment of a board of management to carry out, among other duties, the enrolment of pupils. For a community school, trusteeship normally consists of the relevant vocational education committee and the religious.

In the case of the Knocklyon community school, the County Dublin Vocational Education Committee has already accepted trusteeship of the new school and has made its nominations to the board of management. In the appointment of religious trustees, discussions are still ongoing with the Dublin archdiocese. It is hoped that these will be concluded shortly and that an interim board of management will be in place before Christmas.

I understand the anxiety of parents in Knocklyon regarding the enrolment of pupils for September 2000, and I acknowledge that there is an urgent need to take early action on this matter. In the circumstances, we have put arrangements in place to allow applications for enrolment to be submitted while the interim board of management is being constituted. In this regard, we have accepted an offer made by the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools to initiate and manage the enrolment application process before the end of the year.

Arrangements are being made by our Department for the association to publicise the enrolment locally as appropriate and to accept com pleted enrolment forms on behalf of the interim board of management. The board will take the final decision on enrolment when it has been constituted. The details regarding enrolment are being finalised in our Department and will be publicised locally at the earliest possible opportunity.

In addition, officials from our Department have been in touch with the Knocklyon PostPrimary Committee and the other relevant parties regarding all matters relating to the development of this school, including enrolment. There is no compulsion on anyone to pay deposits for the enrolment of their children. It is at the discretion of parents whether they do that.

This is a project to which the Government has given a high priority. Some Deputies questioned our commitment to it, but I am sure they will acknowledge that we are delivering where others failed to do so. This latest move will ensure that everything will remain on track for the opening of this important new educational facility in a nice location in south Dublin.

The Dáil adjourned at 5.15 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 23 November 1999.