Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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103. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are proposals by a number of patron bodies to amalgamate primary schools and the distress that this is causing to parents and pupils as a result; and his plans to address this situation. [9432/14]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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I am happy to wait for the Minister's response.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I am aware that some patrons have initiated consultation processes relating to amalgamation proposals. I wish to advise the Deputy that the decision-making authority for any school amalgamation belongs to the school's patron and this is subject to the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills. The initiative for any amalgamation may come from a variety of sources such as parents, staff, board of management and patrons. Any such proposal to amalgamate schools must first involve consultation with all of the relevant stakeholders. Following the consultation process, a decision taken at local level will follow. In that regard, any proposed changes must be well planned and managed in a manner that accommodates the interests of students, parents, teachers and local communities, and contributes to an inclusive education system. The patron and relevant stakeholders are also advised by the Department to consider the implications that any amalgamation proposal may have on school funding, school staffing and school transport so that an informed decision can be made.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Perhaps that is the way it should happen but, unfortunately, that is not what is currently happening on the ground. I will give the Minister two examples. The first is in Dublin 10 where there is a proposal by a patron body to amalgamate a number of schools and close one national school. The school it is proposing to close has specially built autism units while the school with which it is proposed to amalgamate it has none. Closing a school with specially built units dealing with autism and amalgamating it with a school that does not have those units makes no sense to me, and I am sure it makes very little sense to anyone else.

The Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock, will be aware of the case of North Monastery Secondary School in Cork. This is a school with an educational tradition of 203 years that is facing closure. I will come back with a supplementary and inform the Minister of the shoddy way the Edmund Rice Schools Trust has dealt with not just the students, but the parents, staff and principal of that school and the distress and hardship this has caused.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I am aware of the two locations where proposed amalgamations have been initiated by the management bodies and the patron. As the Deputy rightly said, the day-to-day responsibility for the management of former Christian Brothers schools lies with the Edmund Rice Schools Trust. The patron for Roman Catholic schools is the bishop of the diocese in which the school is located. The prime mover is essentially the Catholic authorities and the trust operating in the manner they do now.

Deputy Conaghan has informed me of the situation in Ballyfermot to which Deputy O'Brien referred. The Minister of State, Deputy Sean Sherlock, and the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, have brought my attention to the case in Deputy O'Brien's constituency. These are matters that the Department will facilitate and respond to but I must tell the Deputy that there have been no formal communications from both schools. We have been made aware of these matters not in writing but informally. It is a matter for the relevant authorities, including the parents and school community, to arrive at a satisfactory outcome. I understand - I qualify the word - that in both cases, it is due to falling numbers overall within the locations in which the schools are located and that some attempt at amalgamation and rationalisation was explored.

This is how the matter stands, but I would love to see a proper amalgamation. Consultation is ongoing. In so far as the Department can be of help in those discussions, our services are available and have been in the past.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister. He is aware of both cases. The Edmund Rice Schools Trust, ERST, called in the staff and patrons of the four schools, including the bishop, and told them that the proposal was to close the North Monastery primary school and amalgamate it with St. Vincent's Convent national school, which is a fine school in its own right. The ERST then stated that it would hold a consultation period, but that is happening after the decision was placed on the table. The bishop must sign off on that decision. Perhaps he will go against what has been proposed by the ERST, but I do not believe that will be the case. The bishop will come under considerable pressure to agree to the ERST's decision.

Ultimately, the decision will land on the Minister's desk for approval. That is when it will become a political issue. No one in the North Monastery primary school wants this to be a political issue. Rather, people want a decision based on the facts. The school has facilities like those in the Ballyfermot school and are greater than those of the schools with which it is proposed to be amalgamated. Despite this, there is still a proposal to close the school.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy, but I must call the Minister.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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The only reasons being given for this are financial.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I am sorry, but we must move on.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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I trust that, when this matter lands on the Minister's desk, he will examine it properly.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I will wait for any official communication from both school communities.