asked the Minister for Education if his attention has been drawn to a report (details supplied) that the incorporation of the vocational schools into an all-Catholic Community School would cause concern to non-Roman Catholics, and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Community Schools.
108.
I have seen the report to which the Deputy refers. As I already pointed out in this House the document relating to community schools was a working document which would provide a basis for discussion with all the interested parties. That being so I do not feel that it would be appropriate for me at this time to make any further statement in relation to it.
The Parliamentary Secretary will appreciate the need for ensuring the rights of non-Catholics——
Of course.
——and if the incorporation of the vocational schools into all Catholic community schools were adopted it would deprive the non-Catholics.
As the Deputy is probably well aware, there has been a lot of what might be called uninformed comment and we cannot be responsible for that anyway. Possibly arising out of the uninformed comment there may be unreal fears. I can assure the Deputy there are no grounds whatever for them.
The fears are unfounded. Is that right?
Certainly. In this connection, yes.
May I ask the Parliamentary Secretary if there has been any reaction from the Roman Catholic Hierarchy regarding their willingness to accept the non-sectarian community schools proposal or what their reaction is to it?
Not that I am aware of as yet.
Am I correct in assuming that the schools proposed are non-sectarian schools?
I do not want to go into a discussion on the whole thing. Arising out of what Deputy Dr. O'Connell has said there may be areas where possibly the management might be——
As the Parliamentary Secretary has answered my question, Deputy FitzGerald's question is relevant: that they will be non-sectarian.
Yes, of course, but we will not go into a whole discussion on the management.
The management is a separate issue.
What then does the Deputy want to know?
That they will be non-sectarian. Obviously, the management committee must be either Catholic or Protestant; we do not expect them to be all atheists.
Who is going to direct the policy but the managers of the schools?
They will be non-sectarian? That is my question.
I suppose in the nature of things some members of a board will be non-Catholic and some will be Catholic. They will be non-sectarian. Of course, they will.
If they were not, there would be a reason for concern and fear on the part of the Protestant minority.
To be quite precise and so that we will not try to cover in two minutes what in fact would warrant a full discussion on community schools—I do not want any misinterpretation of anything I say here—I can assure the Deputy that any proposals relating to the Protestant schools will come, as far as the Department are concerned, from the Protestant schools themselves. The Department are very anxious to ensure that the minority in any area will have their position safeguarded. Could we leave it at that?
Not quite. Did I understand the Parliamentary Secretary to say that some will be non-sectarian Catholic schools and some will be non-sectarian Protestant schools?
The Deputy misunderstood me.
That is what the Parliamentary Secretary said. It may not be what he meant.
I said that, in the nature of things, it was possible that the management in some areas would actually be composed completely of Catholics and in other areas possibly of Catholics and Protestants. It does not make them sectarian schools, in my view, if there are no Protestants to be represented on them. Is this House sectarian because there happens to be no Protestant Member in the Chamber now?
We had better leave it at that. I am afraid we are confusing things rather than clarifying them.
I think we are.