Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator John Paul Phelan for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the position on second level education infrastructure in New Ross town. I do so on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin. There are five post primary schools in New Ross. Applications for major capital investment from each of the schools, against a backdrop of declining enrolments, prompted a review of infrastructural provision in the area which was extended to include its primary schools. In view of the scale of the review being carried out, Dr. Tom McCarthy was appointed as a facilitator to consult with the local providers and to identify the key issues in primary and post primary provision in the area.

In his report Dr. McCarthy recommended a reduction at post primary level to three schools each catering for 720 pupils, which would provide accommodation and facilities for the 2,100 pupils to which Senator Phelan referred. The schools were to comprise one single sex girls' school, one single sex boys' school and one co-educational school. Subsequently the school planning section of the Department prepared a discussion paper for the trustees of both the primary and post primary schools to progress the matter further. Given the intervening period since Dr. McCarthy's report and the change in demographics etc., the purpose of the paper was to put forward for discussion the Department's view on how best the primary and post primary educational infrastructural needs of New Ross could be met into the future.

The paper recommended the five post primary schools should be rationalised to provide three schools each catering for 500 mainstream pupils. It also recommended the VEC should continue to cater for PLC and VTOS students and its accommodation should be augmented to cater for enrolment on approved Department courses. It further recommended enrolment policies should be put in place by all schools to ensure pupils from the catchment area are given preference and that this should be a condition of capital investment. Discussions are ongoing among the trustees on these findings.

Senator Phelan will appreciate this is a complex matter for the schools concerned given the structure of the individual schools and the fact that the town falls into two different parishes in two different dioceses and two different county council areas of functionality. When the trustees have completed their discussions and the Department is made aware of the outcome, consideration will be given to capital investment in the area under the school building and modernisation programme. Rationalisation projects attract a band one rating under my Department's prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. This is the highest priority rating possible. I have heard the Senator's argument and will bring the strongly held views he enunciated here this evening to the attention of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, at the earliest opportunity.