Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this Topical Issue matter, which is of considerable importance to two different communities in the county I represent. My question relates to the status of Mol an Óige Steiner national school in Ennistymon and Raheen Wood Steiner national school in Tuamgraney, both of which are co-educational, multidenominational, mainstream schools. Raheen Wood has been in existence for 23 years while Mol an Óige is a more recent development. For the past five years, both schools have had temporary recognition, which ensures the provision of staffing and accommodation support from the State. This basic right was long outstanding and granted only after protracted negotiations and a court case going back some time.

The status of both schools is currently under review by the Department of Education and Skills. I understand Raheen Wood was recently given a further three-year extension of its temporary recognition status while the board of management of Mol an Óige is meeting with departmental officials today to discuss that school's position. The main difficulty, so far as I can see, is a lack of willingness by the Department to progress these schools towards full recognition. In particular, I understand concerns have been raised in regard to the curriculum. This suggests to me that the Department has an issue in coping with the notion of teaching diversity. Raheen Wood school, which has 114 students, has shown results above the national average for primary schools in tests in which students participate after two, four and six years of schooling. Despite this positive feedback, there seems to be a closed mind within the Department in regard to diversity of teaching models.

I appeal to the Minister of State to investigate the situation. It is not appropriate in this day and age that temporary recognition status should be dragged out in this protracted way. The schools are performing exceptionally well in terms of the proven capacity of students to learn. Parents and management need certainty as to the future of their schools if they are to develop them in line with other schools in the county. Permanent recognition is a prerequisite for that planning and if they are to put in place the type of infrastructure that is needed in order to work towards the long-term needs of current and future students. The quality of education delivery is such that people have relocated to be close to the schools. I ask the Minister of State to examine the inflexibility within the Department in terms of the rigorous approach that is taken to this particular teaching model. The teaching methodologies incorporated in this model have been successfully employed in these schools, for more than 20 years in the case of Raheen Wood. Many past pupils have gone on to second and third level and are now employed in various walks of life. The Department must re-examine the available data if it is not yet convinced of the capacity of these schools to provide the appropriate level of education to pupils. Such an analysis would give comfort to the Department that the model of education being delivered in these schools is meeting the needs of children and parents and has a significant benefit for society. Above all, I ask the Minister of State to intervene to give certainty to parents and communities that these schools will be awarded permanent status and may thus begin the process of developing their services and infrastructure for the future.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I thank Deputy Timmy Dooley for raising the issue as it provides me with the opportunity to outline the current position in regard to the recognition status of Mol an Óige Steiner national school, Ennistymon, and Raheen Wood Steiner national school in Tuamgraney, County Clare. The matter has previously been raised by Deputies Michael McNamara, Pat Breen and Joe Carey. I understand those Members have facilitated a number of meetings in recent months between the boards of management of the two schools and the Minister and his officials, including the meeting that is taking place in Leinster House today.

The Department has given provisional recognition to the schools in question, both of which follow the Steiner approach to education. All recognised schools, regardless of their philosophy, are required to comply with the Education Act 1998 and the rules for national schools. Deputy Dooley suggested that somebody in the Department might not be in favour of diversity in education. I am sure he is well aware of the Educate Together movement, which very much embraces diversity at the heart of its ethos. As we have done in the past, we continue to facilitate the recognition of schools under the patronage of Educate Together. As such, it is unfair to suggest that any opposition to diversity in the primary school sector is at the heart of the issue facing the two schools in the Deputy's constituency.

Schools seeking permanent recognition must also comply with the procedures applicable to the recognition of new primary schools in regard to patronage, boards of management, implementation of the curriculum and admissions policy and procedures for the appointment of teaching staff. Permanent recognition is contingent on schools demonstrating that they meet these requirements. In the case of Raheen Wood Steiner national school, provisional recognition was initially awarded in 2008 and has since been extended year on year. A process is in place under which the matter of the school's recognition is being assessed. This process is based on undertakings committed to by the school's patron in 2007 which relate to the school's compliance with the standard rules and procedures applicable to the recognition of all primary schools.

Departmental officials met with the patron of Raheen Wood in September and the Department has since confirmed its agreement to extend the school's provisional recognition for a period of three years up to August 2015. This extension will allow the school time to work, with the assistance of the Department's inspectorate, to progress the implementation of the changes in practice required to comply with all of the undertakings committed to by the patron. This extension of the provisional recognition period will not impede the school in being granted permanent recognition within that period, if the criteria for recognition are met.

Mol an Óige Steiner national school was also initially awarded provisional recognition in 2008 and this recognition has been extended year on year. The school is also seeking to have permanent recognition granted and a similar process to Raheen Wood is in train, based also on undertakings committed to by the school's patron in 2007, under which the issue of recognition is being assessed. Departmental officials met with the patron of Mol an Óige today to discuss the school's current position in respect of the undertakings provided. I understand that while issues remain to be resolved, the Department recognises the substantial progress that has been made by the school in regard to most of the undertakings.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. I have extensive knowledge of the issues arising in both schools as I was intimately involved in securing temporary recognition for them in 2008 and have continued to work with both of them. I strongly support their efforts to secure permanent recognition. As the Minister of State outlined, the major obstacle is the need to comply with the standard rules and procedures. The concept of pluralism must be adhered to in this matter. The Educate Together movement is based on a different model.

Ultimately, the issue concerns the curriculum. The Department has failed to recognise the Steiner approach to education and the benefits it provides for certain children. I have observed these benefits for children and families in the community with which I am most familiar, especially in east County Clare where Raheen Wood school has been operating for 20 years. These benefits outstrip rules or procedures that may appear in the annals or depths of the Department. For this reason, I ask that the Department commence a review of the Steiner model of education. It must not try to fit a square peg into a round hole. When efforts were made to place the schools in question on a path towards permanent recognition, they were expected to conform to the rigours of the existing model. Although they are working towards that objective and are, as the Minister of State indicated, making significant progress in this regard, it will not be possible to get the square peg into a round hole and retain the best aspects of the Steiner model of education. I ask that the Department commence a review that will not seek to marry the two systems. The two schools will lose out if they are required to morph into standard national schools.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I have been fortunate in recent months to have been able to visit many countries, especially in Asia, to try to raise awareness of Ireland's fantastic system of education. When I am abroad I can stand over the quality of the education we deliver at primary, post-primary and tertiary level. I do not accept that there is a lack of willingness on the part of the Department to work with the two Steiner schools in County Clare. A process of engagement is taking place, albeit one that is taking a long time to complete. If the Department did not see some merit or value in the Steiner model being applied in County Clare, it would have ceased all engagement in 2007 or 2008. The opposite is the case and departmental officials are engaging and proactively supporting, through the inspectorate, efforts to facilitate and amalgamate the model in the national system. The two are not mutually exclusive and some middle ground will be found, I hope in the near future. I have been informed that the inspectorate is supportive of both boards of management and working hand in glove with them to address issues that arise. The Deputy and I, as well as everyone involved in education in County Clare and all those who espouse the Steiner model, want the very best education to be delivered to young people to a standard over which we can all stand.