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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 15 Jun 1976

Vol. 291 No. 7

Return to Writs: North-East Donegal and Dublin South-West. - Adjournment Debate: County Limerick School.

I sought this Adjournment debate because I considered the reply to my question of June 1st to have been inadequate especially having regard to the great urgency surrounding this question. However, before embarking on the pros and cons of the situation it is imperative that I give a brief outline of this post-primary school at Castleconnell.

About 30 years ago the English Presentation Sisters came to Castleconnell for the purpose of establishing a novitiate but ten years later they decided to open a secondary school. This school was residential at the outset but at the request of the people of the parish of Castleconnell as well as those of the adjoining parishes the order decided to cater for day students also. This venture proved an undoubted success despite the fact that Limerick city had been the traditional and only post-primary location for the Castleconnell area for both boys and girls.

In 1962 the County Limerick VEC, under my chairmanship, incidentally, decided to expand their teaching services in County Limerick, Castleconnell being one of the new centres. Consequently a VEC school was opened in Castleconnell as a pilot scheme, the premises being a recently-vacated national school building. This venture also met with success and the technical instruction branch of the Department of Education suggested to the Limerick VEC that a new vocational school should be built. As a result of the OECD report on investment in education and of the county development meetings which were held afterwards, meetings that were initiated by the development branch of the Department of Education, it was decided by the two schools authorities in Castleconnell that they would both embark on a scheme of close co-operation in regard to the use of buildings, equipment and teaching resources. In 1966 there was common enrolment with each school retaining its complete independence and autonomy.

Due to the changing circumstances in the field of post-primary education the Department decided that Castleconnell should be one centre and consequently in 1969 both school authorities agreed to establish a post-primary centre on the convent grounds at Castleconnell. This arrangement was agreed to by the Department of Education at a meeting in Castleconnell in April, 1970. That meeting was chaired by Mr. Moloney, principal officer of the development branch. As the first stage of the new development five new rooms were to be added to the convent school buildings as they then existed. These were a science room, a woodwork room, a metalwork room, a domestic science room and a library. During the following 18 months difficulties were encountered but these were overcome subsequently. Eventually it was decided by the then Minister for Education, Deputy Faulkner—this was in late 1972—that the new post-primary complex at Castleconnell would be ready for the first student intake in September, 1973. Unfortunately, Deputy Faulkner was no longer Minister after February, 1973 and in May of that year I was informed by the Department that the Castleconnell school project had been deferred indefinitely. On 12th June, 1975 I asked the Minister for Education if there was a proposal in his Department for the erection of a post-primary centre at Castleconnell. The Minister replied that there were no immediate plans for the erection of new school premises in Castleconnell but that it was anticipated that a community school might be required in the area in the long-term.

In November, 1975 a meeting of both school authorities, under the chairmanship of the Bishop of Killaloe, Dr. Harty, decided again to approach the Department with a view to reopening the entire question of the Castleconnell project. As a result of this meeting a letter, dated February 11th, was received by the convent school authority from the post-primary branch of the Department of Education, and I quote:

... The Department's view... is that because of the relatively small number of pupils in this centre, the ideal arrangement for Castleconnell would be a single second-level school. The most appropriate location for this school would be the Convent in view of the condition of the existing Vocational School building.

The form of management of the single school would be a matter for discussion and agreement with the County Limerick Vocational Education Committee. Existing teachers in the Vocational School could be assimilated on to the staff of the single school without loss of salary or allowances.

The Department would not favour the enrolment of boys in your school in advance of agreement with the Vocational Education Committee on future developments in the area.

On may 17th the parents of the convent students received a letter from the convent authorities which read and, I quote:

For many years, the future of our school has been under consideration due to difficulties in the spheres of educational facilities, finance, personnel and co-operation with the local Vocational School. On Saturday May 15th the Council of our Congregation met and reached a decision to close Rosary Hill School with effect from July 31st 1977.

On the same date I received a letter from the Mother Superior confirming this notification to the Department of Education and stating:

You will see by the enclosed that we have made our final decision about Rosary Hill School. I am sure that you will realise it is the best we can do under the circumstances. Allow me to thank you on behalf of the Sisters for the efforts you have made on our behalf over the years.

On May 26th about 200 parents from the catchment area decided unanimously to request the Minister to provide alternative post-primary facilities in Castleconnell. On June 1st I asked the Minister for Education, as reported at column 488 of the Official Report for that day:

If he is aware of the proposed closure of Rosary Hill secondary school, Castleconnell, County Limerick; and if he will enter into immediate negotiations with the school authorities with a view to purchasing their existing school buildings for the purposes of establishing a post-primary centre to cater for secondary and vocational school students as outlined in his letter of 10th February, 1976, to the school supervisor.

The Minister replied:

My Department have recently been informed by the school authorities that they have decided to close Rosary Hill girls' secondary school in Castleconnell as from 31st July, 1977. The Department's letter dated 10th February, 1976, was issued in the context of the continued involvement of the Presentation Sisters in second-level education in Castleconnell. The proposed closing of their school produces a new situation to which consideration will now have to be given.

I appreciate the circumstances of the Minister's reply but the fact remains that the other partner of the project, the County Limerick Vocational Education Committee, a statutory body, are quite willing and eager to activate section 32 of the Vocational Education Act and establish a post-primary centre in Castleconnell. Alternatively the Minister could directly approach the convent authorities with a view to purchasing their school buildings for the purpose of establishing a post-primary centre. It is imperative that the Minister act immediately to ensure that there is no break in the centre's continuity. A post-primary school is an urgent requirement for this rapidly growing suburban area on the eastern side of Limerick city which also embraces a portion of County Clare. Castleconnell is ideally suitable geographically as it is now a suburb of Limerick city and has access to east Clare, which is also growing rapidly. I should like to point out that from an environmental viewpoint it is also ideally suitable. It has one of the finest aspects in western Europe. I am asking the Minister to act immediately to ensure that there is no break in the continuity of education in this centre.

The Deputy and the House will realise that the decision to close Rosary Hill girls' secondary school comes as a regrettable surprise in some respects to the Department. It creates a new situation which has to be assessed carefully. Any decision to set up a new school in Castleconnell will involve substantial capital expenditure which would ultimately have to be met by the taxpayer. Therefore, in assessing the new situation created by the decision of the authorities of Rosary Hill Convent the Minister must consider the overall educational facilities of this area with a view to seeing whether there are alternative means of meeting the needs of the children who are attending Castleconnell convent school, or would have attended it. The Minister must assess all possible alternative means of coping with this problem. However, I have noted the case made by Deputy Herbert and will convey it to the Minister. I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that the decision to close Rosary Hill is a relatively new development and not one upon which I could be expected to make a definitive comment as to the Department's response after the short lapse of time which has occurred since the decision. I regret that I cannot give a fuller statement than this.

The Dáil adjourned at 7.20 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 16th June, 1976.

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