Skip to main content
Normal View

Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Oct 1966

Vol. 62 No. 1

State Guarantees Act, 1954 (Amendment of Schedule) Order, 1966: Motion.

I move:

That Seanad Éireann approves the following order in draft:

State Guarantees Act, 1954 (Amendment of Schedule) Order, 1966,

a copy of which Order in draft has been laid before the House.

This is a motion seeking the approval of the House to the making of an Order adding the Church of Ireland Training College as a body specified in the second column of the State Guarantees Act, 1954 and to approve of the sum of £535,000 to be inserted as the sum which the State may guarantee in respect of the Church of Ireland Training College. This matter arises as a result of the sale by the Church of Ireland authorities of the site of their existing training college which is, and has been, inadequate for their purposes for a number of years. The proceeds of the sale of the site and whatever was saleable on the site were not nearly sufficient to provide the authorities with a new training college. They were unable to procure the necessary loan finance to proceed with the building of the new college without Government guarantee.

This guarantee is now given in the form of this Order so that the necessary finances may be raised. I may say, further, that the payment of both principal and interest will be made by the Department of Education in the ordinary way, so long as the college continues to be used for the purpose for which it is being erected—the training of teachers for national schools in the Church of Ireland.

Did I understand the Minister to say that this body have borrowed money on Government guarantee?

They will not have to repay it. The Department of Education will repay both the capital and interest?

I see. Can I take it that this is the procedure which was adopted in regard to other training colleges—for example, the major extension to the St. Patrick's Training College?

St. Patrick's Training College got bank accommodation through their own efforts, and did not require a State guarantee. The other procedures apply.

The only difference here is the Government guarantee. Obviously we can welcome this particular move. It is in a good cause. I think the Church of Ireland Training College has a characteristic which is not shared by other training colleges—I am subject to correction on this—in that the people trained there get a University degree at Trinity College after a four years course for that purpose. That is something which we might hope to extend to the other training colleges as well. It is a good precedent and a good headline. We have no difficulty in supporting this measure.

I should like to express the appreciation of the Church of Ireland authorities for this accommodation by the Government. It is characteristic of the continuing generous treatment by our Government of the religious minorities.

I should like to welcome this measure because it is a facility being afforded by the Government towards the provision of training colleges for teachers. With the new outlook so far as education is concerned and the increased measure of education required, it is obvious that as soon as we can do so it will be necessary for us to increase the number of teachers as rapidly as possible. At present, in many cases classes are for too large because there are not sufficient teachers to ensure that the classes are smaller. It has been found that the standard of education can be raised by reducing the numbers in classes and increasing the numbers of teachers. Any contribution that can be made towards the training of teachers to make them available as soon as possible should be welcomed.

Question put and agreed to.
Top
Share