Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 January 2019
198. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress made to date in providing permanent accommodation for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2915/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is fully committed to supporting diversity of patronage in our education system to provide greater choice for parents.
Tuam ETNS was established by the Department in September 2015 under the Patronage Divesting process, which is a process to provide a new choice of school patronage in a number of areas with stable population.
This school was established as a 4-classroom school in a wing of the former St. Patrick’s Secondary School, part of which was refurbished by the Department to allow for Tuam ETNS to be located there on an interim basis.
Discussions are underway in relation to an amalgamation of a number of primary schools in Tuam, which would make a building available for Tuam ETNS as its permanent location once the amalgamation has taken place. My Department envisages that it can facilitate the school expanding to an eight-classroom school once it is in this planned permanent accommodation.
My Department has agreed with the school’s patron, Educate Together, that in common with all schools, this school will need to manage its enrolment levels in the context of its available accommodation.
