James Bannon (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Gallagher. In discussing the future of St. Joseph's secondary school in Newtownforbes on the outskirts of Longford town one cannot avoid looking beyond its proposed closure to the broader issue, namely, the repeated use of education as a political tool by the Government. Unfortunately for the people of Newtownforbes, we are once again faced with a scenario which is becoming all too familiar, that is, pre-general election promises being broken and local communities being left to pick up the pieces.

In this case the promise came from the Taoiseach when he travelled to Newtownforbes to meet the St. Joseph's steering committee in the lead-up to the general election. The committee accepted his word and believed he meant what he said. Prior to his visit it had received numerous representations from his office. There has been nothing but the sound of silence ever since. The general election is over and the Government has been re-elected but the students and parents of Newtownforbes have definitely lost out as they and others like them are left to suffer the consequences of the Government's mismanagement.

I turn to the events leading up to the current impasse in relation to St. Joseph's secondary school. More than two years ago the Sisters of Mercy announced their decision to relinquish trusteeship of the school. This news came as a great shock to the people of the locality as the nuns had a long and happy association with education in Longford. An independent assessor was appointed in 2001 to determine the viability of the school.