I am grateful for the opportunity to raise this matter which is of importance to the people of Rathdowney, particularly the children attending the school there, because of the unusual difficulty they face. Rathdowney is a market town in south County Laois. It is some distance from other towns in County Laois and has a considerable agricultural hinterland. During the years the town enjoyed good educational facilities. There is a significant second level comprehensive school and the town enjoys the benefit of good teachers. The people have a good relationship with the good quota of teachers working in the school on behalf of the community. There is also an excellent throughput of pupils from Rathdowney, with students progressing to the college in the town and other second level establishments in County Laois.
There is, however, a severe problem. St. Kieran's boys' national school and the convent girls' national school amalgamated in September 1998. The schools were asked to continue for a short period in their respective separate buildings to facilitate an early amalgamation in terms of the legal and other technical documents that were necessary. In September 1999 a written submission was made to the Department of Education and Science by the board of management asking that the matter be addressed with a view to placing the two halves of the school on one campus.
There is a considerable distance between both halves which are located at opposite ends of the town. This gives rise to problems. Some children have older and younger brothers and sisters in a different school in a different part of the town. This presents a problem for parents in terms of the school run. There is no car parking at the convent school which is located on a busy and dangerous street and little access. There are no proper or adequate sports or cultural facilities at the school because one common room is located in one school while the dressing rooms are in another building at the other end of the town.
It was the understanding of the board of management, teachers and parents that shortly after the amalgamation took place arrangements would be made to locate the primary school on one campus. In January 2000, 15 months after the amalgamation, a departmental inspector visited the school and made arrangements with the teachers regarding what was likely to happen. The inspector did not report, however, to the Department until three months later in April 2000. Another departmental official arrived at the school in January 2001. Sadly, there have been no developments on this important issue.
I hope the Minister will make a positive statement in response to this matter in order that the people of Rathdowney, the board of management of the school, the teachers and the pupils will know what is happening. It appears that the amalgamation which was hastily undertaken in 1998 was no more than the purchase of a pig in a poke. I want this matter sorted out. There has been a sufficient time lapse in which departmental officials and the inspectorate could have made up their minds about the campus on which the primary school in Rathdowney will be located. They could opt for the convent school or what was the boys' school, but a decision must be made. The teachers and board of management are open to discussion which will allow the amalgamation to proceed in the manner in which everybody envisaged – one school on one campus for the children of Rathdowney. I ask the Minister to set this in train at the earliest opportunity.
