asked the Minister for Education if he will consider extending the special consideration given to parents who are establishing all-Irish national schools in the matter of assistance towards the purchase of sites, to parents who are establishing multi-denominational schools.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Multi-Denominational Schools.
34.
I do not propose to apply, in relation to any other type of national school, the special provision which I have introduced in relation to grants for the purchase of suitable sites for all-Irish schools.
Would the Minister not agree that the objective of uniting the people of this country across religious barriers and, indeed, eventually the whole island, is at least as important as reviving the Irish language? It is one of the two aims of his party. Therefore, would he not reconsider this decision to give special assistance to a kind of school whose objective coincides with one of the aims of his party and give it also to schools whose aims coincide with the other national objectives of his party?
I am committed by our policy as published and put to the electorate to provide for the development of Irish in the educational system. With that objective in view I am doing this in relation to the scoileanna lán-Ghaelacha. I intend to continue doing that. There are people who think if this is not done the place of Irish in our educational system will suffer. I do not intend to allow that to happen in so far as the Minister for Education can prevent it.
Would the Minister not agree that the problems faced by parents and communities who want to establish primary schools across the deep denominational educational divide are at least as serious, and the expenses on them at least as great, as those faced by people trying to establish Irish language schools in non-Gaeltacht areas? Will he reconsider this flat refusal to give them any special consideration?
As of now, I do not intend to extend this facility to schools other than scoileanna lán-Ghaelacha.
There is only one national aim now.
Question No. 35 is for written reply.