Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister's final comment but, to be honest, we need a little more because that is exactly what is happening. The educational needs of current and future generations of pupils at Clonkeen College, which affects a huge catchment area right across the Dún Laoghaire area, are about to be fundamentally compromised if this deal goes through. As I said, if this sale goes ahead money invested in the school by the Department, public money, will go down the drain. That is unacceptable. A solemn promise that was made by the Christian Brothers to the school in 2008 is being breached. That is also not acceptable.

If, as the Minister said, the current and future needs of pupils should not be comprised by the need and requirement of the Christian Brothers to pay for the redress scheme, which they absolutely should do, then he needs to intervene urgently to stop the sale going ahead. We understand the sale has not concluded. The school agreed a number of years ago, and was happy to do so, to the sale of the ERST building which adjoins the school, plus an acre of adjoining land. Is it acceptable that one school of 95 should take the full hit for the outstanding debt of the Christian Brothers to the redress scheme in terms of the loss of all of their playing fields? The school will not have a Gaelic pitch or any of the other playing facilities it had. It is not fair. This will impact on local clubs, including Cabinteely Football Club, Park Celtic, Bray Wanderers, Cuala, Kilmacud Crokes and others who use those fields. This is an assault on the playing facilities of students and the entire community.

I ask that the Minister intervene to prevent this happening and, if necessary, to have the lands and the school transferred to the State. Clearly, on the basis on this sale, the Christian Brothers cannot be trusted with the protection of the educational needs and facilities of their own students. To my mind, this means that the Minister needs to take this school and the lands back into public ownership and secure these playing fields and the future of the school for current students and future generations.

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