asked the Minister for Education the reasons for his decision to close Montpelier national school, County Limerick; and whether in view of recent information which has come to light he will now have the school re-opened.
293.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Closing of County Limerick School.
292.
asked the Minister for Education whether in the light of the inspector's report he will reconsider his decision to close Montpelier national school, County Limerick.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 292 and 293 together.
The decision to close Montpelier national school was taken solely in the educational interests of the pupils and after the fullest consideration of all the relevant facts.
I have examined every aspect of the case and I am fully satisfied that the decision was the correct one. I do not therefore propose to have the school re-opened. The inspector's report does not disclose that any argument of an educational nature was advanced in favour of the re-opening of the Montpelier school.
Is the Minister aware that the decision to close this school, originally taken by his predecessor and subsequently endorsed by him, was based on incorrect information supplied by two inspectors who visited this school last May? Is he aware that the information supplied by these inspectors was wrong in a number of respects and particularly in that they assessed the potential school-going population of the area incorrectly? Secondly, they grossly misunderstood and misrepresented to the Minister the parents' views in the matter. In view of the fact that the chief inspector of the Department was in Montpelier last week and understood the position fully as it was explained to him by the parents, how can the Minister now, in the light of the report that Mr. Gearóid O'Sullivan, must have submitted to him in relation to the parents' views, refuse to re-open this school? Does it mean in effect that the policy of the Minister and his Department in relation to amalgamation means that the Department are determined to ignore the wishes of the parents? In other words, have the parents any rights? Surely the Minister cannot uphold this decision which was originally based on false information?
In this very important matter it is a pity that so much has been said and done to cloud the issue. In every statement I made in regard to this matter, in every letter I wrote regarding it and in my meeting with the deputation of public representatives, I clearly underlined the fact that the education of the children was the primary factor in my decision to close this school. When a school comes up for replacement and in a number of other circumstances, the Department look around to see whether this school should be amalgamated for the benefit of the education of the children. In this case Montpelier school, which is an old school, came up for replacement because of its condition and the Department took a look at the educational structure in the area. It was clear from what they found in relation to the matter that if some of the children were sent from Montpelier school area to Castleconnell they would benefit considerably by having more teachers to teach them there. It was also obvious that if those of the children from the Bridgetown parish were sent to the Bridgetown school it would increase the number of teachers there from two to three. So, overall, the children of Montpelier would be very much better off from the educational point of view and so, also, would the children in Bridgetown. It is my job as Minister for Education to look after the education of all the children. I must take all the factors into consideration. I examined this matter on many occasions and I came to the conclusion that in the interests of the children of Montpelier and of Bridgetown this was the proper decision to make. Once again I want to stress that this decision was made solely on the basis of better education for the children.
I should like to point out that the Minister has ignored the main question I asked—what are the rights of the parents? Is the Minister the sole authority on what is best for the children? Have the parents any rights in the matter?
I did not ignore the question. I answered it in my own way and my answer is that my duty in this instance was to ensure that the children of the area, whether of Montpelier or of Bridgetown, receive the best possible education and the best possible facilities that the Department can make available to them.
Is the Minister aware that Deputy O'Donnell on the second day of the amalgamation acted in a highly irresponsible fashion, playing on the genuine emotions of these people and told them not to send their children to school——
That is correct. Deputy O'Donnell admitted it.
I did not——
(Interruptions.)
I cannot say what Deputy O'Donnell did. All I know is that on Thursday, 2nd October, there were 28 children travelling by the bus to one or other of the two schools. On Friday, 3rd October, there were 31 children travelling by bus to one or other of the schools. I am informed that is the evening on which Deputy O'Donnell appeared on the scene.
That is not correct. I was there the evening before, on the Thursday evening.
On the following Monday the number travelling by bus had fallen from 31 to 13.
As a result of Deputy O'Donnell's——
Deputy O'Malley called them Paisleyites.
Certainly not.
I think I should refer to the number of children presently travelling by bus. In a number of reports I read on this school closing it was either stated categorically or inferred that all of the children had gone back to this school and that none of them was travelling by bus. I must point out very clearly that on the days on which both of these reports appeared, on 21st October and 22nd October, on each of these days 30 children travelled by bus to one or other of the schools. The impression, unfortunately, was given—I am not laying the blame on any quarter—that none of the children was travelling whereas on both days 30 children travelled either to Castleconnell or Bridgetown.
Is it a fact that this is the first school in the country with an attendance of 85 or 86 children that was closed without the consent of the parents?
It is not a fact that it is the first school of its size that was closed.
Without the consent of the parents?
The Minister does not care about the parents.
I certainly do care about the parents and I care very much about the children.
(Interruptions.)
Is it correct to assume that if the Minister accedes to the request contained in the questions of Deputy O'Donnell and Deputy Taylor it would mean the downgrading of the Bridgetown school and furthermore that the children of that area would suffer? In view of criticsim of the accommodation at Bridgetown school——
A dance hall.
——would the Minister say when extra accommodation will be available for those children who are now transferred to the Bridgetown school?
We hope to have the additional accommodation available there on 17th November, in about three or four weeks time. I may say further that there have been references here as to whether I consider the parents. I think it is true to say that there are few Deputies who have clearer insight into the feelings of the people in rural Ireland in relation to their own locality and particularly to the school in their locality than I have.
I want to point out to the House that in the past three or four years we have closed 614 small schools. We had trouble in about 14 or 15 of those schools. It is obvious that the people in the areas in which the other 600 schools were situated had just as great a loyalty to their area and were just as concerned about the prestige of their area as the people in the areas where we had difficulties.
What I want to point out is that the people in these areas had to make a decision, and that decision was whether they should be more concerned with the apparent prestige of their area or with the education of their children and, in all these cases, they came down on the side of the education of their children. This, of course, is also true in relation to a considerable number of parents in the Montpelier area. I would appeal very strongly tonight to the parents in the Montpelier area and I would ask them to give this amalgamation a chance, because I know that if they do they will feel the same about it as the people in the other areas where there were difficulties previously, and they will come back to thank us for what we have done. I make this appeal very strongly here tonight.
I also assure them if they should keep their children away from school for a considerable time, that when the the noise and the tumult dies away and when the news value goes out of this matter, the people who seem to have an interest in keeping the pot boiling will move off very quickly and will not be seen again in this context, and the unfortunate children will be the ones who will be left with the scars.
Will the Minister ensure that in future when his inspectors are visiting areas where consultations are necessary those inspectors will not attend meetings in local churches, meetings which I would say are designed especially to silence those parents. That has taken place in east Clare.