asked the Minister for Education when it is proposed to advertise the contracts for the erection of vocational schools at (1) Ballycroy, (2) Foxford and (3) Mulranny, County Mayo.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mayo Vocational Schools.
41.
The question of how best to provide for the needs of the Ballycroy, Foxford and Mulranny areas of County Mayo in the matter of post-primary education is at present under study in my Department, and it may be necessary to review the proposals already made in that regard. I cannot therefore indicate when tenders may be invited for new vocational schools at these centres.
Is the Minister not aware that long ago it was decided by the Mayo Vocational Education Committee to build the schools in those areas, that the need for the schools is already there and that the answer the Minister has given does not appear to me to be factual because I know the situation and all the members of the vocational education committee know it? The only reason I can see is the reason given by the chief executive officer at our last meeting when he said that there was no money available.
I am not aware of what the CEO said at the last meeting but he should be well aware, if the Deputy is not so aware, of the survey that has been going on and of the effects which it has had when it has shown that plans which vocational education committees had adopted and pushed for many years were not now in the best interests of education in the area. One of the big problems is that plans had been pushed for the building of smaller vocational schools whereas the examination by the Development Branch of my Department into the facilities available in the area and the school-going population revealed clearly in many cases that this is the wrong provision and that what should be done is that larger schools should be built and some of the smaller ones cut out and the students, if necessary, transported to the larger schools. As a result we will be able to provide adequately for all the children a wide curriculum. If we do not do this, we shall find that we have a number of small schools that are able to cater in a very limited way for some students and certainly not able to cater for all the students.
I agree with the Minister's views but I know the locality, and although what the Minister says may apply in many other areas, it does not apply to the three schools mentioned in Mayo.
I have not got the final report on it but the indications are that this does apply in the area mentioned.
Is the Minister not aware that invariably it is the Department that has cut down on the size of the schools proposed by the vocational education committee? I know that is what happened every time we put up plans in County Dublin. Can the Minister give us any idea when he is likely to reach the end of his consideration of this survey? Is he doing it region by region and, if so, when will he be in a position to tell any area that they will be able to build a vocational school?
I have already done so in some cases. Obviously, you cannot have a survey done all over the country at the same time. You must do it region by region. This, in fact, is what has happened. In a number of areas, we have completed the survey. As a result, vocational schools have been told to go ahead. In other cases, we had to stop them. Similarly, in regard to secondary schools, the same considerations apply. Where, in the past, the Department cut down on vocational schools—I am aware of some cases where it happened—the reason was that, at that time, the overall educational plan did not envisage all our children receiving post-primary education. This envisages a new approach to the construction of buildings and the serving of the particular areas concerned.
Can the Minister say when he will deal with County Dublin?
Very soon, I think.
It is about time.