Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I thank Senator Kitt for sharing time. We have previously spoken on school transport difficulties regarding Seamount College, Kinvara. The suddenness and secrecy of this decision has shocked the community, the teaching staff, the board of management and parents. Today, the Department of Education and Science informed me of confidential negotiations between the trustees of the college and the Department in April. It is unacceptable that the Minister for Education and Science was not informed of the decision. Likewise, the people whose livelihood and education are affected by it were not informed. It is regrettable the decision was announced during the last days of office of the board of management. As a result, the trustees appointed a single manager, a retrograde step given that all partners in education agreed it was best that every school have a board of management. That has been ruled out, an unnecessary caveat.

The most important point to be communicated to the Minister for Education and Science is that continuation of intake to Seamount College next September must be allowed. The urgency of this cannot be over-emphasised. From next month until Easter schools will hold open days for prospective students. If the cycle is broken, there will be a gap in attendance at Kinvara.

Regardless of involvement of the current trustees in future education in Kinvara, a second level school in the area is important. The Department's projected numbers are ill-informed. The Department's first communication to the school principal, the board of management and staff stated there were 150 students in Kinvara. As Senator Kitt stated, 243 are enrolled in the school. Trustees had sought projected figures from the Department over the years. It is detrimental to the future of education in the area for the Department's figures to be accepted. The two nearest schools, in Gort and Oranmore, are full to capacity. Last night in the Dáil it was suggested those schools could accommodate the low intake and low projected figures of Seamount College. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The liaison group is trying to meet all the relevant bodies and to reopen negotiations. It is unbelievable that any group of trustees would seek to close the school without consultation with relevant groups. We seek continuation and intake of students in the coming year. This will provide space for reasonable, transparent negotiations. A total of 14 young teachers who have proved themselves by their capacity to produce some of the highest examination results in the country, as per the 2004 assessment of examination results carried out by The Irish Times, together with seven other temporary teachers, will be without a job. That someone can make a decision like this so callously is unacceptable and unfair to teachers and their families and friends. They have a contribution to make to the community. Seamount College was as much a part of the heritage of Kinvara as any school in any other town.