asked the Minister for Education if a decision has been made to provide a secondary school at Kilronan, Aran Islands, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Galway Schools.
28.
Mr. R. Burke
My Department are in consultation with the County Galway Vocational Education Committee with a view to the submission by the committee of a suitable scheme for the provision of a senior cycle course at Kilronan Vocational School, Inis Mór, Aran Islands.
The question of the provision of another secondary school at Kilronan does not arise.
Is it accepted that a secondary school will be available for the pupils of the Aran Islands for the school year commencing September next?
Mr. R. Burke
A secondary school, in the sense of a second level school, already exists on the islands.
Will the full range of subjects be provided as is done in Galway?
Mr. R. Burke
I will receive favourably proposals from the VEC when they are put to me.
Will the Minister state "Yes" or "No" whether a decision has been made to provide this type of second level education on the islands commencing September, 1975?
Mr. R. Burke
Pending the receipt of a submission of the scheme by the County Galway Vocational Education Committee I cannot make a decision.
The decision has not been made?
Mr. R. Burke
It cannot be until the VEC submit the scheme to me.
Is the Minister aware that the Minister for the Gaeltacht stated that this course will commence in September? That Minister made the promise during the course of the Galway by-election but obviously he had no authority to make that promise.
Mr. R. Burke
It may be provided but we will have to await the submission of the scheme first.
29.
asked the Minister for Education if a decision has been made to provide a secondary school at Renmore Mervue, Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
30.
asked the Minister for Education if he has received a proposal from the Town of Galway Vocational Education Committee for the future development of the technical school at Moneenageisha, Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Mr. R. Burke
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 30 together.
Discussions are proceeding between my Department and the local interests concerned in regard to the provision of additional second-level school accommodation which, it is anticipated, will be required within the next five years or so in the Mervue-Renmore area of Galway city. I understand that the Town of Galway Vocational Education Committee are seeking to have lands adjoining the Moneenageisha school made available for an extension to that school.
Would the Minister state who the "local interests" with whom his officials had discussions are? Would the Minister authorise the purchase of the land adjoining the Moneenageisha vocational school for extension purposes?
Mr. R. Burke
On the first point of the Deputy's supplementary the reply is the Town of Galway Vocational Education Committee. In regard to the second point the acquisition of the site depends on bodies other than the Department of Education, one of which is Galway Corporation.
Have the Minister's Department indicated to the vocational committee of Galway city that they are prepared to authorise the purchase of these lands?
Mr. R. Burke
There is no specific proposal from the city VEC before the Department at this moment.
Is the Minister aware that officials of his Department have baulked at the price being asked by the corporation for these lands and that there is disappointment in the city VEC at the decision conveyed to them by the Department that they would not be prepared to pay the price requested by the corporation in spite of the fact that the mayor and other members of the corporation have stated they would be anxious to see the lands sold at a reasonable figure? The figure was reasonable in the context of the price of land in that area in recent years.
Mr. R. Burke
The question of the reasonableness of the figure has to be determined by the Department and other bodies. We do not pay exorbitant prices for land but I am sure this matter can be ironed out.
Has the Minister had any communication from the parents of children in the Renmore-Mervue area with regard to the provision of a secondary school there?
Mr. R. Burke
I am not personally presently aware that such representations have been made but that does not mean that they have not been made. My brief does not indicate one way or the other.
31.
asked the Minister for Education if he has received a report of the meeting which took place recently between an official of his Department and the parents' association at Salerno secondary school, Salthill, Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Mr. R. Burke
I have received a report of the discussions which an official of my Department had last month with the Salerno school authorities and with the local interests concerned. The matter is being further considered with due regard to the views expressed during the course of these discussions and a decision will be expedited as much as possible.
Might I ask the Minister to take this decision as soon as possible? Is he aware of the serious disappointment of the order of nuns teaching at this school because of the Department's attitude so far and that the question of the whole future of the school is seriously at stake unless the Minister makes a positive decision fairly soon? Furthermore, might I ask the Minister to clarify whether, in fact, he stated in January of this year to a meeting of the parents' committee, to disregard some answers he had given to me in reply to supplementary questions I had put to him following a similar question to him here in January?
Could we have brief and relevant questions, please?
Might I ask the Minister to clarify that point?
Mr. R. Burke
I am not aware that I made any such suggestion. I do not think I did. In fact. I am quite confident that I did not.
Would the Minister— when making this study and coming to a decision—remember that many of the classes in this school are being held in the basement, that the stairway is positively dangerous, the school generally is in a very poor condition, and that this should add an inch to his step in coming to a decision?
Mr. R. Burke
In reply to Deputy Wilson, I have visited the site personally. I am aware of the conditions. The problem here is that there are 400 surplus places available at two other convents in the locality and these are deemed by the Department to be within reasonable distance of Salthill.
Is the Minister aware that the parent's committees in the area deny that absolutely?
Mr. R. Burke
Deny that they are within reasonable distance?
Deny that there are 400 surplus places available in that area.
Mr. R. Burke
Then, perhaps, the two convents in question could establish the truth.
32.
asked the Minister for Education if he has any plans to provide a comprehensive or any second-level school at Corrandalla, County Galway to serve the educational needs of the youth of Annaghdown and Corrandalla, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
33.
asked the Minister for Education if his Department have carried out any survey of the second-level educational needs of the youth of Annaghdown and Corrandalla, County Galway; and if he is satisfied that present arrangements are suitable.
Mr. R. Burke
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 33 together.
Having surveyed the provision being made for second-level education for the Annaghdown and Corrandulla areas, my Department is satisfied that the present arrangements under which pupils are given free transport to Galway city or Headford, as appropriate, are adequate. My Department have no plans to provide a second-level school at Corrandulla.
Could the Minister tell me how many pupils are leaving national schools in this area and have to obtain second level education outside the area?
Mr. R. Burke
From the local schools of Annaghdown and Corrandulla, boys and girls, the total number of pupils who went on to second-level education was 22.