asked the Minister for Education whether, in view of rule 49 of the rules and regulations for national schools concerning the furnishing, repair and standards of cleanliness required and the repeated public pronouncements by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation that the conditions of this rule are not being observed by school managers, he will state how many investigations have been held over the past ten years where a manager had failed in his duties in this respect.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Duties of School Managers.
Reports are furnished each year by the inspectors of my Department in regard to every national school in which information is given, inter alia, as to (1) the general condition of the school building from the point of view of the structure and its maintenance, (2) the furniture and equipment, (3) the condition of the playground and (4) the heating and cleaning of the school. If any defects come to the notice of the inspector he is instructed to discuss them with the manager of the school and to inform the Department of the outcome of the discussion. It is the experience of the Department in the vast majority of cases that when a manager's attention is called to a defect the remedying of which is his function, he takes the necessary steps to have the matter remedied. In any case where such defects are not remedied it is the practice of the Department to communicate direct with the manager in regard to them.
No formal investigations are carried out and there is, I am satisfied, no need for formal investigations.
The bulk of the cases to which reference is made in the Deputy's question relate, I feel, to schools the defects in which are such as can only be remedied by providing new school buildings.