Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle as an deis an t-ábhar tábhachtach seo a phlé anseo um thráthnóna. Táim buíoch as an Aire as a bheith i láthair.

Tá muintir mo dháilcheantar buartha. Tá an chás millteanach agus tá eagla mór agus imní ar dhaoine i dtaobh an t-ábhar seo.

Tá daoine ag lorg freagraí faoi Scoil Náisiúnta Bríde i gContae Lú.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise the serious ongoing situation at Scoil Náisiúnta Bhríde in Faughart, County Louth. I previously raised my concerns directly with the Minister, and I thank him for his attendance here this evening. I have also raised my concerns with the school management and the school patron regarding the welfare of pupils, the morale of the school and the danger that the school might close if the problems were not resolved urgently. They have not been resolved and the situation has been made even worse. We now have a situation where a once thriving school, which had more than 100 pupils, in Faughart now has no pupils left, and has effectively closed its doors. The school has been a hub of activity for the local community for generations. Grandparents and parents of today's children all attended that school. No one wants to see the school closed. There has been ongoing difficulties for a long period of time and for that to be allowed to happen is very sad and disappointing.

The Department of Education and Skills undertook an inspection earlier this year. The whole school evaluation report, published in May, made a number of critical findings. The inspectors reported that "leadership for learning within the school was not prioritised sufficiently". The report stated that "the oversight role of the Board of Management was not being discharged satisfactorily". It found "a significant variation in the quality of teaching of certain subjects, ranging from outstanding to poor". We might ask ourselves what would we do if our children were attending that school. The report stated that action should be taken as a matter of priority to "rebuild trust within the school community and to improve enrolment".

The whole school evaluation report confirmed the parents' concerns and as a group they took the decision to escalate their efforts to peaceful protest. They have privately and publicly justifiably raised their concerns about their children's education. They have engaged with the board of management, the school patron - the Archbishop of Armagh - and the Minister.

As a result of a lack of a resolution, this has culminated in a decision for them to withdraw their children from the school and to seek alternative school places for them. There are now no pupils left. We are seeing the decimation of a rural thriving school community. It is no exaggeration to say that those in the community are devastated. I have met and spoken to families directly affected and they have all told me that their hope against hope is that the Department and school management would resolve the issues at hand. It is unacceptable that a rural school can close the way that Naoimh Bríd school has. We can ill afford the closure of any rural school. The people of Faughart deserve better.

This is a close knit school community within a wider community who feel let down. They fear that the survival of the school, with no pupils attending it, is in danger.

They believe that, with the intervention of the Minister directly, the school patron and the new management, the school can flourish again. I am sure the Minister will agree that simply standing back and allowing a rural school to close its doors is totally unacceptable. He should meet and speak to the families. I ask him to do so as soon as possible.

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