Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 6 Nov 1969

Vol. 242 No. 3

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ullard (County Kilkenny) School.

73.

Mr. Crotty, Mr. Governey and Dr. FitzGerald

asked the Minister for Education whether he is aware that following the closure of Ullard national school, County Kilkenny, seven of the children of that school have been sent by their parents to Borris school, County Carlow, one has been sent to Graiguenamanagh school, at least four others have been refused admission to Graiguenamanagh school and parents of at least seven others intend to send them to Graiguenamanagh school as soon as they are in a position to provide transport; and what consultations took place with the parents of children at Ullard school before the decision was taken to provide transport from that school area to Skeaghvasteen school.

74.

Mr. Crotty, Mr. Governey

andDr. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Education whether he will now ensure that the parents of children formerly at Ullard school are consulted and given an opportunity of deciding freely what school they want their children to attend.

Mr. Faulkner

With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 73 and 74 together.

Ullard national school was amalgamated with Skeaghvasteen national school and free transport was provided to the latter school for the children concerned. It is a matter for the parents to send their children to Borris or to Graiguenamanagh as they so wish but transport can be provided only to the central school at Skeaghvasteen. The parents of the pupils were consulted before Ullard national school was closed and the majority were reported as having been in favour of the closure

Dr. FitzGerald

Could the Minister say how they were reported in favour of the closure? The Minister does not say they were in favour; he says they were reported in favour.

Mr. Faulkner

When I say "reported" I mean I got the report from our inspector saying the parents were in favour.

Dr. FitzGerald

Is the Minister not aware that the facts in my question would suggest that many of these parents want to send their children elsewhere? May I add that I have only given details of firm cases? There are other parents, as well as the ones I have listed here, who want to send their children to Graiguenamanagh but are not prepared to do so when there is no transport available.

Mr. Faulkner

I should like Deputy FitzGerald to come down on one side or the other. In relation to Mountpelier where the school has been closed and some of the children are sent to a large school, that is Castleconnell, he objected. In this case he is asking me to provide transport to Graiguenamanagh for the former Ullard national school children and thereby reduce the number in Skeaghvasteen and leave it a two-teacher school and, therefore, in line for closure?

Dr. FitzGerald

The Minister misunderstands the position altogether. The position in Mountpelier is that he is closing the school and sending the children to two schools and one of these is a two-teacher school, Castleconnell being the other. The Minister's supplementary reply is, accordingly, irrelevant and incomplete, like most of his main replies.

Mr. Faulkner

The result of the proposition put to me by the Deputy in this question would be that a three-teacher school at Skeaghvasteen would be reduced to a two-teacher school. This is something for which I would not be responsible.

Dr. FitzGerald

May I ask the Minister how that could arise? My proposal relates to sending the children from Ullard national school to whatever school the parents want them to go to. I do not propose that anybody should be removed from Skeaghvasteen. I do not see any reason for that. It is the Minister's suggestion, not mine. What I am asking the Minister is: were the parents consulted and is it not a fact that the parents would prefer in the main, to send their children to Graiguenamanagh or to Borris but not to Skeaghvasteen?

Mr. Faulkner

Surely the Deputy is aware that the fact of the children having being sent from Ullard to Skeaghvasteen was responsible for its being a three teacher school?

Dr. FitzGerald

That is a different matter. That is not what the Minister said.

Mr. Faulkner

What I said was in the opposite direction: if I took them away it would become a two-teacher school.

Dr. FitzGerald

My question was not whether he should take them away but did he, before sending them there, consult the parents, or is it being done to bolster up a particular school without regard to the wishes of the parents?

Mr. Faulkner

As I said at the beginning, I should be glad if the Deputy would come down on one side or the other.