Adjournment Debate. - Future of Navan College. – Dáil Éireann (23rd Dáil) – Tuesday, 29 Jun 1982

Adjournment Debate. - Future of Navan College.

Mr. Farrelly

A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I should like to thank you most sincerely for allowing me to raise this issue on the Adjournment. The recent decision on the future of the rural home economics college in Navan, County Meath, is most serious for a large number of people in the midland counties. As the Minister is aware, in 1980 the nuns at St. Martha's College informed the county committee of agriculture that they were withdrawing their services from that college the following year. On the committee of agriculture we were alarmed about the possibility of the withdrawal of these services from the young ladies who were interested in home economics.

We met the superior of the college and asked her permission to have negotiations with the Department of Agriculture and the board of ACOT to ensure the future of St. Martha's College and the services being provided by that college. When we contacted the Department we were told that negotiations were taking place on the taking over of the college. Last year before the general election we were informed by the then Minister for Agriculture, now the Minister for Finance, that the college would be taken over by the Government when and if he was returned to office. He gave that commitment. Recently he introduced a budget which provided £14 million to the board of ACOT to run their services for the coming year. In their February estimate they set aside £33,000 for the renting of the college premises for a 12 month period. I was delighted to hear that.

There has been an average of 71 pupils per year in the college since it was founded in 1932, and a large number of them have gone on into the field of home economics in hospitals and so on. They have been very successful and many of them have become good farmers' wives. In 1975, 21 per cent of the population were directly involved in agriculture. In 1981 the figure was 18.5 per cent. This figure is higher than the figure in any other country in Europe. The training at St. Martha's and the technical skills taught were cost effective compared with other services.

In 1979 there were 62 pupils at the college. In 1980 there were 51 or 52. In 1981 there were 42. The fall in numbers was not due to a lack of applications but because pupils were being transferred to other colleges throughout the country, one in the Minister's constituency and another in the west of Ireland. This facility was very convenient to a large number of families in the midlands. Pupils could go home at the weekends. The relatively inexpensive cost was important to the families involved. In 1982-83 if students wish to take advantage of the same services they will have to travel the length and breadth of the country. The extra expense could have been avoided if the college had been taken over by the Department.

On a national scale, statistics from the training bodies in the industrial and agricultural field covering ACOT, CERT and the agricultural colleges, show that less than 30 per cent of the applicants for courses are females while over 50 per cent of our population are females. If we are not serious about providing training services in the field of agriculture our major industry will not prosper. The ICA and the IFA made strong recommendations when the Youth Employment Agency was being established for suitable courses to meet the needs of prospective farmers' wives. These courses have been available at St. Martha's for 50 years. I know numerous girls who have attended this college and have walked into jobs as instructors in home economics all over the country. This college is having a great effect on the local community from the point of view of young girls who can get their first year in basic rural economics.

The Minister will probably tell me that it is a matter for ACOT as to whether this college will be taken over and run. But I believe that when the Minister is providing money for ACOT he should have some say as to how it is spent and what training facilities he would like to see particularly for the young people in our community so many of whom will be unable to find jobs at the end of this year's school term. Here we have the premises and the facilities to provide courses for 70 to 90 students per year and it would be more beneficial to have this number on a course in this college than on the dole queues and unable to find a place in any walk of life. The Minister may also say that the Coalition Ministers for Agriculture and Finance did not provide money. But our budget was defeated here and it was not our budget that was implemented at the end of March. It is the money provided by the present Government for ACOT that should be spent on the taking over of this college.

Here I want to compliment the St. Vincent de Paul Society to which these nuns belong for giving the option to the Department and the board of ACOT to buy the premises lock, stock and barrel with its 200-acre farm and excellent dairy herd which could have been used by the Department as a demonstration college. I feel that this would be more beneficial than a stud farm for ponies in Connemara.

Mr. Kenny

Cut that out.

Mr. Farrelly

I say that even though my colleague, Deputy Kenny might not agree with me. But this college would definitely be a lot more beneficial to a larger number of people. The Department were also given the option, which was negotiated partly by the former chairman of my own committee who died last year, to rent these premises at a cost of £33,000 per year and there was a fluctuating clause in relation to interest rates and inflation. The orders should have come from the Department of Agriculture. Only two weeks ago I met the Minister with a deputation from ACOT committee in Meath and he said he would do all in his power to ensure that St. Martha's College would be taken over, that negotiations could continue with our committee and the board of ACOT so that some courses could continue. We are not against changing the courses in some way but some form of rural home economics courses should be provided in St. Martha's.

But here is another example of lack of enthusiasm on the part of the Government for ensuring that as much education as possible be given to the community. This college has given wonderful service to pupils from six to eight counties and has had the highest praise from the families of any one who has attended it. I am calling on the Minister to tell the directors of ACOT and the board to have another look at the possibility of taking over this college. The Minister may not be aware that this college and the land that goes with it and everything else has been placed on the market for the end of July because of the decision taken last week by the board of ACOT. There were discussions with the mother superior of the college over the last two or three days and she was dumbfounded at the decision taken because in 1980 we negotiated with the mother superior to have the college run for another 12 months to give time to the board of ACOT and the Department of Agriculture to draw up plans and agreements to ensure that this college would not be closed and the facilities no longer available.

I hope that we will not hear from the Minister about what happened in the seven months that we were in office. This has been going on since June 1980, two years. If the Government are committed to the future of Irish agriculture, to the future of the young people who could be attending this college for years to come and may instead find themselves on the dole queues, they will do something for this most important section of our community. If this college does not receive the attention it should, not alone will the community in the areas surrounding this college suffer but it will be a disaster for each and every one of us in this House. This college should be taken over and run efficiently by the Department or the board of ACOT. I am disappointed that we were not informed by ACOT that this was not taking place and that a decision had been taken to put the premises on the market. We asked for £33,000 a year for a viable proposition. We took over this enterprise lock, stock and barrel. If I were Minister of State and this college was in my constituency, I would not leave it to an Opposition Deputy to raise this matter here. I would have done my best in my ministerial capacity knowing this was a viable proposition for the community and the future of agriculture.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture (Mr. L. Allen)

I thank Deputy Farrelly for raising this very important matter. At the outset it is only right that I should express my deep appreciation of the very valuable contribution to the education of girls which has been made for many years by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in St. Martha's College. It is a matter of great regret that the order find themselves unable to continue providing training in rural home economics at the college after the end of the current academic year.

I can therefore readily understand the desire of the people in the area served by the college that it should not be closed. There were suggestions that the State should take it over and, in this context, ACOT, as the national body responsible for agricultural education and training, were mentioned in particular. I was surprised to hear Deputy Farrelly questioning the decision taken by ACOT. I know most of the members on that board and nobody can say any of them are political hacks of any party.

I should mention at this point that ACOT under the legislation require the specific approval of the Minister for the purchase of any property, while, on the other hand, they have full discretion in the matter of leasing, subject of course to the availability of the necessary funds. Deputy Farrelly said provision was made in this year's Estimate but no provision was made——

Mr. Farrelly

I did not say provision was made.

Mr. L. Allen

I listened to Deputy Farrelly for 20 minutes and I only have 10 minutes to reply. The Deputy said a provision of £35 million was made in this year's Estimate for——

Mr. Farrelly

I said £33,000.

Mr. L. Allen

I do not know where the Deputy got that figure. When he mentioned £35,000 I wrote it down.

Mr. Farrelly

One could buy half the county of Meath for £35 million. I said £33,000.

Mr. L. Allen

The Deputy mentioned £35,000 because I wrote it down when he said it, and later he said £33,000. In accordance with the decision of the previous Government, of which Deputy Farrelly was a member——

Mr. Farrelly

I was never a member of the Government.

Mr. L. Allen

He was a member of the major Government party. In the Estimates for 1982 ACOT's capital and general purposes grant-in-aid did not make provision for any new services or an expansion of existing services. This was the position when ACOT made a formal request to the Minister in April this year for approval to purchase the property. As I said, the Deputy first mentioned £35,000 and £33,000 much later.

Following discussions with the college authorities on 6 April the board requested approval for the outright purchase of the college. Alternatively the board had in mind leasing the college. I want the Deputy to note this point because he has been harping on it for 20 minutes. The board made it clear that should they acquire the property, they intended to discontinue the rural home economics course which had hitherto been provided at St. Martha's. The board are happy that the 260 places available throughout the country are adequate to meet the requirements of the State.

Mr. Farrelly

The Minister promised June last year——

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

It would help if Deputies did not interrupt.

Mr. L. Allen

While one would have every sympathy with the board's desire to acquire the college for use as a resource for agricultural advisory and training work, it was nevertheless found necessary to inform the board that having regard to the budgetary situation at the present time, it was not possible to provide the organisation with the additional funds which would be required for the operation of the college on either a purchase or lease arrangement. The board have since informed the Minister of their decision not to lease the property.

I might perhaps mention at this point that ACOT have already under way a substantial capital programme for the expansion and improvement of advisory and training facilities generally. In particular, under the western package they are committed to the provision of 200 additional places at agricultural colleges, 22 new local training centres and a resource centre for the development of advisory staff. As the Deputy is aware, ACOT training and advisory centres have been established at Navan, Trim and the one at Drogheda is nearing completion, and they include first class training facilities for the teaching of farm home management. There are also other excellent facilities in the vicinity for residential training in both agriculture and horticulture — Warrenstown and An Grianán. Young farmers and girls who wish to train in home economics can do so in County Longford which is not very far away. There are adequate spaces available in different parts of the country for girls who wish to qualify in home economics.

I have the highest regard for Warrenstown Agricultural College where I spent some of my younger years and I have no doubt that in future Warrenstown will provide all the facilities necessary for Meath farmers. I hope the Deputy is not casting any aspersions on Warrenstown and saying he was not happy with the facilities provided.

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 29 Jun 1982