School Closures

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 May 2017

Tuesday, 16 May 2017

Ceisteanna (171, 172, 173, 175, 186)

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

171. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) will continue as an ETB school in the Carlow area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22907/17]

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

172. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Skills the roles, responsibilities and the executive function of an ETB CEO when communicating with parents when their school is at risk of closure. [22908/17]

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

173. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Skills the roles and responsibilities of the ETB school board of management of a school (details supplied) when identifying a school has low intake of first years and is impacting on retaining staff levels to deliver a full curriculum; and the governance for recommending for closure. [22909/17]

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

175. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Skills the roles and responsibilities of the Kilkenny and Carlow ETB and its members when identifying a school has a low intake of first years and that this is impacting on retaining staff levels to deliver a full curriculum; and the governance for recommending for closure. [22911/17]

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

186. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the proposals to close a school (details supplied); if this is in accord with the programme for Government commitments; and the steps he will take to prevent this occurring. [23005/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 to 173, inclusive, 175 and 186 together.

I wish to clarify for the Deputies that the school in question is not closing.

Any discussion to close a school requires consultation between the various Stakeholders, including parents, members of staff and their representative organisations as well as the Board of Management.

I am aware that Carlow/Kilkenny Education and Training Board (ETB), the Patron of the school concerned, set up a Task Force to consider options for the future viability of the school due to declining pupil enrolments. I understand that the Task Force Report was adopted by the Patron and that work on the recommendations to increase enrolments at the school is ongoing.

In relation to the role and functions of the ETB, ETB Boards of Management of schools and Chief Executives of ETBs, details of their roles and functions are set out in the Education Act 1998 and in the Education and Training Boards Act (2013). In that regard, the Education Act 1998 and the Board of Management Handbook for Education and Training Boards outline that the function of the Board of Management is to manage the school/college on behalf of and in cooperation with the ETB and for the benefit of the students and their parents and to provide or cause to be provided an appropriate education for each student at the school for which that board has responsibility.