I wish to share time with Deputies Connaughton and Callanan.
Adjournment Debate.
School Closures.
That is agreed.
I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this important matter.
It was with alarm that news of the decision by the Sisters of Mercy to close Seamount College, Kinvara was received in south Galway last Thursday evening. The news came as a total shock to the board of management of the school, the principal, teachers, pupils and parents. It was a shock because this school had been making steady progress over the past number of years. Only two years ago it was deemed to be the top non-fee paying school in the country in The Irish Times list. It has a dedicated principal, a committed staff and a conscientious body of students. Not alone is the school recognised for the high level of achievement academically of its students, but the scope of the extra-curricular activity pursued is also worthy of the highest praise.
The school has currently 243 students on the roll and the predictions are that this figure will rise to 300 in three years. The decision to close Seamount College was a shock because no consultation took place with the board of management, the principal, staff, pupils or parents. Education is supposed to involve a high degree of partnership but partnership was totally absent in the making of this decision.
I record my appreciation of the contribution made by the Sisters of Mercy to this country down the years and in particular I acknowledge their enormous contribution to the delivery of a fulsome education to a large percentage of our female population. Our country and people would be poorer without their contribution.
However, I am deeply disappointed and greatly disturbed by the manner in which this decision was taken. There was no consultation, partnership or apparent realisation of the trauma this decision would cause to all involved. That trauma was clearly evident at a public meeting in the college last Friday night at which the principal, Ms Mulkerrins, a teacher, Ms Kavanagh, pupils, Ms Claire O'Regan and Ms Maeve Simmons, members of the board of management, parents and members of the public expressed their absolute disbelief that a decision of such magnitude could be taken in such a manner.
A number of factors relating to this proposed closure are alarming. The first is the decision and the immediacy of it. There will be no intake of first year students in September 2007. The board of management is being discontinued and a single manager is being appointed. The Minister of State would have to agree that the closure of this school in two and a half years' time is unacceptable. It is an extraordinary decision which needs to be suspended immediately to allow for respectful discussions to take place involving all interested parties.
I ask the Minister of State and her senior colleague to use their good offices to have this decision suspended, to engage with the Sisters of Mercy, the principal and local committee with a view to ensuring Seamount College prospers into the future. I ask the Minister of State and her senior Minister to meet the principal and local committee as a matter of urgency to discuss this issue.
I thank the Ceann Comhairle and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this important matter.
Last Friday night I attended a hastily convened but hugely successful meeting of parents, teachers and pupils of Seamount College, Kinvara, County Galway. The purpose of the meeting was to let all stakeholders know of the decision conveyed the previous day by the Sisters of Mercy of their intention to discontinue second level education at Seamount. The news was like a bombshell. Nobody had heard mention of it 24 hours previously. Needless to say this news rested uneasily on the shoulders of everybody present. Nobody should be surprised at that because Seamount, an all-girls' school with an enrolment of 243 pupils, has been a wonderful conduit for quality education dating back to the 1920s and as recently as two years ago it received honourable mention in the national press for its excellent examination results.
I want to convey to the House the bewilderment and annoyance felt by people although not at the decision of the Sisters of Mercy to discontinue education at the college, which is their right. I agree with Deputy McHugh that they were outstanding in the delivery of education over the years. People are annoyed that they gave such short notice and did not at least try to provide the excellent principal, her staff and the board of management with a window of opportunity to keep the college open, and for it to be the heartbeat of a thriving and expanding community encompassing Kinvara, Ballinderry and parts of Oranmore and a substantial part of the Minister of State's county.
The Sisters of Mercy will put in place a manager and there will be no intake of first year students next September. That cannot be allowed to happen. There is another issue, namely, the fact this is a small school but that does not mean it is not a good one. I want the Minister of State and her senior Minister to get the message across that the conveyor belt attitude whereby a school is only perceived to be good because it has a large number of students is not correct.
If this school in Kinvara decided to become co-educational, one can imagine what would happen to the numbers, although that is a matter for the parents, but it is an option. There is very little spare capacity in contiguous colleges in and around Kinvara where the students attending this college are likely to go. Irrespective of what the Department of Education and Science will do in this regard, it will cost money. With regard to the value for money aspect, given the planning status of Seamount College property is only for recreational and education purposes, it will be easier for the Department to do a deal with the Sisters of Mercy and with everybody concerned.
Like Deputy McHugh, I ask the Minister of State to engage with the principal and board of management immediately on this matter.
There was huge disappointment following the announcement last week that Seamount College, Kinvara was to close and there was to be no intake of first year students in September 2007. The college is owned and run by the Sisters of Mercy. I pay tribute to the principal, Ms Mulkerrins, and all the staff for the great school it has become, with the achievement of excellent results every year and nobody having failed the junior or leaving certificate last year.
There are 243 students in Seamount College and the area around it has seen a huge increase in population. The other colleges in south Galway, namely in Gort and Oranmore, are full. Therefore, there is a great need for this secondary school to be kept open in Kinvara.
I ask the Minister of State to use her influence with the Sisters of Mercy to allow first year students to enter Seamount College in September 2007. This would give parents and other members of the community in Kinvara breathing space to work out the best way forward to provide for education needs in the Kinvara area. It would also allow the excellent committee set up last Friday night from an attendance at a public meeting of more than 400 people to negotiate with the Sisters of Mercy and the Department of Education and Science to put in place plans for the future of Seamount College. I urge the Minister of State to find a way to provide this necessary period of time in this regard.
The Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, cannot be present to reply to this matter and she asked me to reply to this matter on her behalf.
I wish the three Deputies well and thank them for raising this matter. I fully appreciate the impact and importance this decision has on the local community. I take this opportunity to emphasise to the House that Seamount College is a voluntary secondary school and decisions such as this are within the remit of the patron body, that is the Sisters of Mercy.
Seamount College, Kinvara is a girls' secondary school with a current enrolment of approximately 240 girls. I understand that boys from Kinvara in the main attend Gort community college, which is a co-educational facility.
On 12 October 2006 the school trustees, the Sisters of Mercy, western province announced their intention to withdraw as providers of education in the Kinvara area and to close Seamount College. They informed the Department that they had taken this decision following a comprehensive review of the voluntary secondary schools within the western province of their order. They decided the closure would be on a phased basis with no intake of first year students in September 2007. The annual enrolment of the first year students stands at approximately 40.
As part of the implementation process following from this decision, the trustees have decided not to appoint a new board of management and to appoint a single manager to manage the school in the interim and to oversee the phased closure process. The term of office of the existing board of management expired on 14 October 2006. Again, this is primarily a matter for the trustees.
With regard to a decision by a patron body to close a school, the Department's concern is to ensure that there are sufficient pupil places to meet demand in a given area. From a school planning perspective and based on data available to the Department there appears to be an already well established trend of boys from the Kinvara area attending the neighbouring Gort community school. More recently, there would appear to be an increase in the number of girls also attending the community school. Gort community school is a co-educational facility and, at present, the Mercy Sisters also serve as trustees to this school. The school was built in the mid-1990s with an overall capacity of 800. As of September 2006, enrolment stood at just over 730 students.
I assure the House that the Department is examining the implications of the phased closure with a view to ensuring that the educational needs of the children in the area continue to be met.
The Mercy order has a strong record of achievement at Seamount College over many years and the decision to close is regrettable. However, the order will maintain an educational presence at second level in the area as trustees of Gort community school. The order and the trustees have also indicated to the Department that they intend to liaise with the County Galway Vocational Education Committee regarding provision at Gort community school.
I thank the three Deputies for raising this matter.
Education Centre Network.
I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise the matter of Tanagh Outdoor Education Centre, which is situated between Cootehill and Rockcroory in County Monaghan. The centre is operated by County Monaghan VEC and excellent work is being done there. Tanagh Outdoor Education Centre was established in 1992 and has gone from strength to strength since its foundation. The centre has received €125,000 from the Department of Education and Science in the last three years.
Tanagh Outdoor Education Centre has developed an excellent reputation and County Monaghan VEC, which had the foresight to develop it, must be complimented. The centre is in an ideal location close to Dartrey Forest, where many of its outdoor activities take place. The well known Annaghmakerrig House is also nearby.
The centre is quite close to the Border. It is 70 miles from Belfast Airport and 70 miles from Dublin, which makes it ideal for cross-Border activities. The property belongs to the Order of the Sacred Heart, which has leased it to the VEC for a nominal fee. In that sense, the VEC is getting excellent value for its money. The nearest outdoor education centres to the one in Tanagh are located in Counties Donegal and Louth. In that sense, the centre has a considerable population base and many local people make excellent use of the facilities. Last year, 10,000 people used the Tanagh Outdoor Education Centre and took part in activities such as rock climbing, hill walking, archery and canoeing. The vast majority of the users of the centre are young people and there is a considerable cross-Border dimension to the centre's activities. A large number of youth organisations make use of the centre and return on an annual basis.
To date in 2006 there has been an 11% increase in the numbers using the centre, on foot of a 43% increase between 2004 and 2005. The numbers using the centre are increasing all the time. At a time of growing concerns about public health and obesity and with young people complaining about having nothing to do, the Tanagh Outdoor Education Centre serves as a wonderful example to people.
I saw a television programme last night which suggested that the two communities in Northern Ireland are becoming more polarised. Activities such as those organised at the Tanagh centre, funded through co-operation, are a proven way of breaking down barriers. It would be a tragedy were Tanagh Outdoor Education Centre not to receive funding from the Government.
Over the years it has been difficult for County Monaghan VEC to fund the centre and provide new services. The VEC now wishes to upgrade the facilities at Tanagh. The buildings and toilets are not up to the required standard. The small amount of money needed to upgrade the premises should be provided. A rare opportunity exists to extend the centre by buying some land from Coillte, at a cost of €106,000. The Department should grasp that opportunity with both hands and encourage the VEC to head in that direction. It should reassure the VEC that its activities are good for the area and for cross-Border co-operation. In the current circumstances, it would be eminently reasonable for the Minister for Education and Science to sanction the purchasing of the property and to provide the modest sum of €106,000 needed to secure the future of Tanagh Outdoor Education Centre. With a relatively small amount of Government funding the whole complex can be enhanced and the future of the centre secured. This is too great an opportunity to be missed. The centre carries out excellent work.
We constantly hear complaints that children and young people have nothing to do but centres such as the one in Tanagh address that. Last Summer 2,000 people had to be turned away, so successful is the centre. The Government should fund the centre and I call on the Minister to do so.
I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter.
Outdoor education centres, such as the centre in Tanagh, County Monaghan, have been developed by vocational education committees in the interests of providing outdoor education programmes to enhance the quality of the educational experience for young people. Outdoor education programmes aim to foster greater environmental awareness, break down social barriers and prejudices, encourage the development of personal competencies, enhance life skills and promote healthy lifestyles.
The VEC outdoor education centres cater mainly for primary and post-primary students, including young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. They also cater for third level students, youth groups, special needs groups and adults. At certain times, particularly during school holiday periods when the centres are not fully utilised for educational purposes, they generate additional income by providing courses on a commercial basis for the leisure and tourism market. Over 100,000 activity days are provided by outdoor education centres for school pupils. Currently there are nine recognised VEC outdoor education centres and a further three centres, including the one in Tanagh, that are not recognised by the Department.
Funding was originally approved for outdoor education centres on the basis that they would be self financing and that their financial activities would be separate from the overall VEC finances. Accordingly, the Department's annual grants are contributory in nature and the allocations go mainly towards the core staffing costs involved in running the centres. The funding provided by the Department for the centres, including the one at Tanagh, has increased considerably in recent years and now stands at some €2 million annually. Tanagh Outdoor Education Centre has also benefited from a significant increase in its allocation, from €98,000 in 1998 to over €130,000 in 2006.
County Monaghan VEC has requested that formal recognition be given by the Department to the Tanagh Outdoor Education Centre. Discussions have taken place between the Department and the VEC on the matter and the Department anticipates that when governance, management and financial arrangements to apply in the centre have been finalised, the matter of recognition of the centre can be addressed.
School Transport.
I am grateful for the opportunity to raise the matter of the school bus transport system. I have pursued this issue, through various channels, since the beginning of the year but I regret my efforts have ultimately proved unsuccessful. This is a matter not just of common sense, but of fairness.
The catchment areas for our school transport system were first put in place in the 1960s. Consequently, they are not only out of date but wholly inadequate. I understand from my correspondence with the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Deputy de Valera, that the school transport system was not designed to facilitate parents who choose to send their children to a school outside the catchment area where they live. This makes no sense. While we must have order and a workable system, unless parents are acting in an unreasonable manner, the system should facilitate them.
A school transport system which, in the case of the constituency of Galway West, cannot transport 130 children to school is a failing system. School transport catchment areas may be in place to protect the number of pupils enrolling in various schools. When the parents of 130 children in Claregalway and Carnmore in the Galway city catchment area are effectively denied a school bus system, with the result they must drive their children to school, the system has clearly become unfair.
Considering my own area, approximately three or four miles from the Oranmore school where 130 pupils are in attendance, the school bus system going into Galway city is at capacity. Even if the pupils were going to a school in the city, another bus service would have to be put on for them. It is unfair that in the region of 100 parents are driving their kids to school in the mornings. A recent survey done in Dublin indicated that 70% of parents are beginning to drive their children to school. That is wrong, and we should really examine the school transport system.
Parents have a right, within reason, to send their children to whatever nearby school they choose. The school has the right, within reason, to be served by the school bus system. In raising this issue I also suggest a solution. Consideration could be given to making locations like Claregalway a dual catchment area for the purpose of school bus transport. If 130 children from the Claregalway and Carnmore areas are travelling to school in Oranmore despite being in the Galway city catchment area, change is needed.
If it is the case that new legislation is required to end this, we should get on with it. This House is often accused of working on legislation which has little real effect on the daily lives of families. Furthermore, legislators often claim that many of the daily issues are out of their control. From what I can gather, this is one issue causing significant hardship for hundreds of families across this country and not just in Galway. It affects many schools across the country, and it is an issue on which we can make a positive difference.
I ask the Minister of State to examine this matter closely and commit to seeking and enacting measures to end this unfair and nonsensical situation. The parents of these schoolchildren, the pupils themselves and the schools deserve no less.
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the general position regarding school transport for children residing in the Galway city, Oranmore and Claregalway areas. Under the terms of my Department's post-primary school transport scheme, a pupil is eligible for transport if he or she resides 4.8 km or more from his or her local post-primary education centre, that is, the centre serving the catchment area in which he or she lives.
The scheme is not designed to facilitate parents who choose to send their children to a post-primary centre outside of the catchment area in which they reside. However, children who are fully eligible for transport to the post-primary centre in the catchment area in which they reside may apply for transport on a concessionary basis to a post-primary centre outside of their own catchment area. This is otherwise known as catchment boundary transport. I should emphasise, however, that these children can only be facilitated if spare seats are available on the bus after all other eligible children travelling to the post-primary centre in which they live have been catered for. Such children have to make their own way to the nearest pick-up point within that catchment area.
Catchment boundaries have their origins in the establishment of free post-primary education in the late 1960s. For planning purposes, the country was divided into geographical districts, each with several primary schools feeding into a post-primary education centre with one or more post-primary schools. The intention was that these defined districts would facilitate the orderly planning of school provision and accommodation needs. They also facilitated the provision of a national school transport service, enabling children from remote areas to get to their nearest school.
Reviews of specific catchment boundaries may be carried out where appropriate. A number of reviews have been carried out over the years where, for example, a new post-primary school is established in an area where previously there was none or, conversely, where a "sole provider" school closes due to declining enrolment.
The area development planning initiative, involving an extensive consultative process carried out by the Commission on School Accommodation, will also inform future revisions to catchment areas. An area development plan takes account of demographic changes and projects future enrolments for existing schools and new schools if required.
Catchment boundary changes will be made where the implementation of the recommendations in an area development plan requires such adjustments. Catchment boundaries have provided and continue to provide a very useful tool in facilitating the orderly planning of school provision and accommodation needs and the operation of the national school transport service.
The Deputy will be aware that the provision of school transport is a massive logistical operation involving the transportation by Bus Éireann of over 135,000 children each day to primary and post-primary schools, including more than 8,000 children with special educational needs. While individual cases involving a pupil's eligibility for school transport are brought to my Department's attention from time to time, such cases are generally dealt with under the terms of the school transport scheme. Persons who are not satisfied with my Department's decision may appeal to the independent school transport appeals board.
I have no plans to review the catchment areas for Galway City, Oranmore and Claregalway, and school transport will continue to be provided under the terms of the post-primary school transport scheme.
The Dáil adjourned at 9 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 18 October 2006.