Mr. Gerry Bennett:

In regard to the proposal put to the staff and so on, it was not a decision but a proposal. It was not the only proposal put to the staff at those meetings. Four different options were put, including that the three schools remain as they are and maintain their status. There is a decreasing enrolment in that area, so that did not seem like the wise thing to do. Another option was for the three schools to go co-educational but there are not enough students in that area for three schools to go co-educational. Another option was for the three schools to become single sex schools but we felt this was not what parents would want because that is not the trend. The option the trustees came up with was that two of the three schools would amalgamate, resulting in possibly two co-educational schools in the parish. It was not the intention to close Scoil Mhuire Fatima, the North Monastery primary school. It was an attempt to find a way to reconfigure the schools in the area to ensure the continuance of the schools in that parish. It was a genuine attempt. The proposal put to the local people was not acceptable, which is fine.

As Deputy O'Brien knows, very close by, the Gaelscoil is growing very rapidly. The diocese took that into account as one of the aspects of the discussion because the trustee of Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers is the diocese. That was taken into account as one of the four options in this area of the North Cathedral parish and surrounds. That is from where this came. It was a very genuine attempt to address a situation to ensure the continuance of the three schools in the North Cathedral parish.

I take Deputy O'Brien's point in regard to the site suitability of St. Vincent's in terms of not having the sporting facilities that the North Monastery junior school would have. I appreciate that but it was said that if there was an agreement, those playing fields would be made available to the St. Vincent's school for all its students - boys and girls - to utilise. That was said at that time but I take the Deputy's point that it would not make sense to put all the students on a smaller site.