Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to speak on this Topical Issue, which is of great concern to many of my constituents in Dublin-Rathdown. The announcement of the closure of the Notre Dame schools in Churchtown came as a great shock to parents of students in the schools who were not given any notification that the school was to close. The Notre Dame secondary school has 150 pupils, while the junior school has 100 pupils. Although the junior school is a fee-paying private school, the Department has some oversight in respect of the secondary school.

Parents learned from media reports that the schools were to close. I understand the junior school will close in June 2017 and the senior school will close in summer 2019. Some allowance has been made, therefore, but the parents I met last Sunday are devastated by the decision. One particular woman lost her husband two weeks ago and her five year old child has been crying every day because the child must move school.

When did the Department learn that the schools were to close? What steps were taken to address the lack of funds in the schools, which were clearly not viable? Why were parents not informed that this would happen?

I am aware that a trust was established which is not subject to the oversight of the Department. Members of the trust also have questions to answer when I and a number of parents meet the chair this evening.

This is extremely stressful for all those involved. I ask the Minister to clarify whether a competition to have other schools open on the site will be expedited. I am aware that ownership of the site has transferred to the Department. The possibility of a Gaelscoil or Educate Together school opening on the site has been mooted. I would like the process to be expedited and I ask the Minister to provide clarity on when this will happen.

The announcement of the closure of the Notre Dame schools has caused great distress. We are all aware of the significant waiting times for schools in all localities. What action is the Department taking on the issue? Will the Minister communicate directly with the parents to find a resolution?

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I can fully understand the dismay caused by the decision of any school to close. I will clarify the Department’s position on the closure by Notre Dame Schools Trust of the fee-paying primary and post-primary schools which it operates on Churchtown Road Upper in Dublin. I understand the concerns that have been raised by staff, parents and students regarding the recent announcement of this closure.

Last week, the Notre Dame Schools Trust made a formal announcement regarding its decision to begin winding down the Notre Dame junior and secondary schools. The parents of pupils have been informed that the decision to close the school was made by the trustees on the basis that there was insufficient income to support the schools' financial commitments and operating costs and the need for significant investment in the infrastructure.

Officials from the Department of Education and Skills had been in contact with the school trustees prior to the closure to provide the required supports to assist them in facilitating an orderly wind-down and phased closure of the schools. Notre Dame Schools Trust has at all times indicated its commitment to ensure appropriate arrangements are put in place to facilitate the current cohort of students during the schools' phased closure. The Notre Dame junior school will continue operating until the end of the current academic year in June 2017 and will then close. The Notre Dame secondary school will continue to operate until June 2019 to ensure that all pupils currently attending the school can complete their current junior and senior cycles uninterrupted.

As part of its liaison with Notre Dame Schools Trust, my Department agreed the acquisition of the school property and grounds, with a view to using them for school purposes in the future. This acquisition was finalised recently. While the proposed school to be accommodated has not been determined at this point, there are several school needs in the area and the future use of the property is being considered in that context. My Department is awaiting clarification pertaining to the feasibility of development of alternative sites and the timelines for acquisition, planning permission and development, which will inform the decision with regard to the future use of the Notre Dame site. The Department will not take over the current schools. As part of the discussions on the acquisition, it was agreed the current schools will remain in situuntil the wind-down period has been completed.

I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline the position regarding the closure of two schools in Dublin 14.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his statement. I appreciate the sentiments expressed and will convey them to the parents when I meet them this evening.

The Minister stated the Department is "awaiting clarification pertaining to the feasibility of development of alternative sites and the timelines for acquisition". Whatever happened in the past has happened and separate questions arise with regard to the Notre Dame Schools Trust. I would appreciate, however, if I could give the parents some indication as to timelines for the future of the site. It may not be feasible to open a new school by September 2017, which will require parents to re-school their children or find alternative schools for them. Their preference is to have their children to continue their schooling at the Notre Dame schools' site. I would appreciate if the Minister could provide definitive timelines and give me an idea as to when the feasibility study will be completed.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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It is hoped the matter will be dealt with in a matter of weeks, rather than over a longer period. I hope we can identify what is the best use of the site that recently came into the ownership of the Department. I understand a number of stakeholders could use the site. The Department wants to make a decision based on what alternatives are open to the schools in question and whether they would represent the best use of the site to accommodate needs in the local area. We do not envisage a drawn-out process because we expect an existing school to operate from the site, which would mean a new patronage process would not be necessary. Establishing a brand new school with a new patron would require a much longer planning horizon.

Deputy Madigan asked what role the Department will play. When a patron decides it can no longer continue to operate a school, it is entirely a matter for the patron. However, the Department will support the continuing operation of the school to allow students in certificate classes to complete their cycle and sit their examinations. I hope we will be in a position within a reasonably short period to give parents some indication as to the future use of the site in order that we can assist them in making plans.