asked the Minister for Education if he will give particulars of the firm plans which have been drawn up for the provision of new schools and colleges and the repair or extension of existing ones under the control of the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee for the next three years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Vocational Schools.
11.
Mr. R. Burke
Extensions to the vocational schools at Coolock/Kilmore and Marino are at an advanced planning stage and I expect work will commence later this year. Design briefs are at present being formulated for a new vocational school at Ringsend and an extension at North Strand.
The position in regard to the Rathmines College of Commerce was raised with me on the Adjournment on 12th December last and I would refer the Deputy to what I said on that occasion, save the addition I shall make in a moment.
Discussions are proceeding in regard to proposals submitted by the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee in the following cases: Finglas, Whitehall, Cabra, Crumlin Rd./Clogher Rd./Sundrive Rd., North Central and South Central areas of Dublin City and Ballyfermot.
The repair of existing buildings is a matter for the committee and does not require the specific sanction of my Department.
I find that answer in relation to Ringsend very disappointing because, through the Minister for Foreign Affairs, I got a letter some time ago stating that the construction of the new school in Ringsend would start next year. That is bad enough, but this is just not the Minister's week. On the Adjournment debate in December—I have the record here— the Minister told me that he was providing a new college at Rathmines. The Minister's reply is now ambiguous.
Mr. R. Burke
I am glad Deputy Moore has given me the opportunity of correcting this and I acknowledge the Deputy's interest in the matter. When I spoke on the Adjournment debate on 12th December last, the whole tenor of my reply indicated that the college to which I was referring, the higher commercial college, would be on a new location. Further, to an interjection, which I must not have understood properly—we were referring to Ardee House by the way and to the possibility of prefabricated buildings adjacent to the present Rathmines building—I said that the building to which I was referring was adjacent. I was referring to Ardee House and the site for the prefabricated building. Obviously, the higher commercial college involved is part of the new NIHE, which may or may not be sited actually in Ballymun.
The record states that the Minister said he was going to build a new college and the record reads:
Mr. Moore: Where is the site of the new college?
Mr. R. Burke: The site is adjacent to the existing building.
There is no college in Ballymun yet so the existing building must be Rathmines. Ardee House is quite a long way from the college. I feel this should be investigated. I do not know what the procedure is, but could I refer to the Committee on——
Will the Deputy please be brief?
——Procedure and Privileges for adjudication?
Mr. R. Burke
The Deputy does not have to go that far. If he refers to columns 1895 to 1900, volume 276 of the Official Report, he will find that on four occasions I said the new college would be in a new location. I took it from what the Deputy interjected that he was referring to the site on which I had promised to co-operate with the VEC to sanction prefabricated buildings, which would be adjacent. I never intended to give the impression that the new college would be sited other than wherever the NIHE is going to be built.
Surely that meant the prefab would be a new college. It is here in the records. The Minister said the site is adjacent to the existing building at Rathmines.
Mr. R. Burke
I am not correcting the record because the whole trend of my reply indicated otherwise, if the Deputy would only read it.
Does the Minister think the council for technological education is a suitable body for validating for a commercial college?
Mr. R. Burke
That does not arise. It arose on yesterday's questions, a Cheann Comhairle.
On a point of order, may I ask whether it is in order for the Minister for Education to purport to rule out of order a supplementary question or is this a function of yours, Sir?
Mr. R. Burke
It is my intention not to reply to undemocratic procedures.
Let the Minister not talk nonsense about democratic procedures.
(Interruptions.)
A Cheann Comhairle, I asked a question.
The Chair was generous with the Deputy and allowed him a good many supplementary questions. We must pass on now to the next question.
On a point of information, Deputy Moore has raised a very important point. I was present at that Adjournment debate when the Minister, as appears now, gave misleading information to the House, information which caused great embarrassment to Deputy Moore afterwards. The Minister says what he said then was not what he meant and I think he should now do the House the courtesy of apologising for what he said on that occasion and then the matter can be forgotten.
Mr. R. Burke
The matter has been brought to the attention of the Editor of Debates.