Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett for raising this important issue, which has given rise to some considerable concern. It is important to note that the decision to dispose of land owned by the Congregation of Christian Brothers is a matter for the congregation. It is not a matter over which I have direct control.

In early May, the congregation wrote to me on the wider issue of the transfer of ownership of its playing fields to the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, ERST. Proposals in respect of its playing fields had been made to the Government in 2009 and counter-proposals were made which were not accepted by the congregation or ERST, to which the playing fields are currently licensed. The congregation has indicated its willingness to engage further with my Department on how such a transfer would be reckoned as a redress contribution. That recent correspondence also noted the proposal to dispose of part of the lands at Clonkeen College, a secondary school under the patronage of ERST, and it states that contracts have already been signed with a builder. The congregation’s letter states that its intention is to use part of the proceeds of the disposal to meet its outstanding contribution of €8.8 million relating to the voluntary offer it made in 2009 in response to the findings of the Ryan report. The congregation also advised me that it will have provided the college with 6.5 acres, inclusive of the school, and lands transferred in 2008 and the additional 3.5 acres of playing grounds now transferring.

My Department will be writing to the congregation on the matter of the Clonkeen lands, seeking clarification on a number of points, including whether the land in question is now the subject of a legally-binding agreement with a builder. There is a role for the school patron, the ERST, to ensure that the current and potential future educational needs of the school, including the capacity of the school to meet future enrolment demands, are prioritised. I am not privy to the deliberations or the debates within the congregation on why these particular lands were selected for disposal. As I noted, the congregation has an outstanding redress contribution of €8.8 million. Completion of this contribution at an early date is vital because it will ensure that Caranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund, will have available to it the full €110 million in cash contributions offered by the religious congregations. I appreciate that the Christian Brothers wish to follow through on their commitments, having already paid €21.2 million of their voluntary cash offer. It would, however, also be very disappointing if the educational needs of the current and future generations of children were compromised in achieving this goal. I would hope that the congregation takes this fully into account during its deliberations.

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