Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am glad that the Minister of State, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor, is here to reply.

In November 2018, the Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board made a shock announcement that it proposed to close two schools, namely, St. Bricin's College, Belturbet and St. Mogue's College, Bawnboy, and provide a new amalgamated school in Ballyconnell, County Cavan. Oireachtas Members and local councillors for that electoral area were told that at a briefing by the ETB that afternoon and later that day the ETB put the proposal to the full ETB board, which approved the proposal, unfortunately. Subsequently, the representatives of teachers and the boards of management were informed of the ETB proposal. This came completely out of the blue.

It is an area that I know well because I am from Bawnboy. There was no indication of any such proposal being considered by the education and training board. Packed public meetings were held in Bawnboy and Belturbet, where the organisers of the meetings asked for the communities' views on the ETB proposal. There was a very clear message from both meetings that the local community in each school area absolutely opposed the closure of the schools and proposed so-called amalgamation.

The meetings were representative of the school community in both cases. Speakers on the night included students, past pupils, former teachers, representatives of local sporting and voluntary organisations, and local business. Testimonies were given that night by past pupils who had gone to forge very successful careers in many different disciplines of the important influence the schools had on their development as persons and in their chosen careers. Those testimonies were from people working in our own country and people working abroad as well.

I have received correspondence from numerous past pupils of both schools who outlined clearly their appreciation of the schools' role in their education and in preparing them for careers. It was clear that these schools have had great accomplishments over the years with their students.

Both Bawnboy and Belturbet are located in north-west Cavan, as the Acting Chairman, Deputy Eugene Murphy, would know. Students travel over considerable distances to attend both schools. One has to look at the geography when one considers amalgamation or providing services in a different location than where they have been provided up to now. If a school was provided in Ballyconnell, the students furthest west of Bawnboy would be lost to a school in an adjoining catchment area, in a neighbouring county and in a different province. Similarly, the students in the Belturbet catchment area adjoining the Cavan town catchment area would be most likely to travel to Cavan town to source their second level education rather than Ballyconnell, also for distance reasons. Cavan town post-primary is already heavily subscribed with all second level schools there with full enrolments.

Detailed submissions have been made to the Department and the Minister, Deputy McHugh, in respect of the role of the schools and their accomplishments over the years. Those submissions detailed the many national award winners and scholarship winners from both schools and the participation by both of those schools in all-Ireland competitions, in European competitions and, indeed, in other international competitions where they brought great honour and glory to our country.

I am anxious that the detailed submissions are given very serious consideration by the Department of Education and Skills. I fully believe that if an amalgamated school were to proceed in Ballyconnell, it would not have the confidence or support of the local communities.

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