Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Labour) | Oireachtas source

My protest is nothing personal against the Minister of State, Deputy Doyle. Perhaps he could convey it to the Minister for Education and Skills.

The issue at hand here is a school in Dún Laoghaire, the lands of which the patron body is determined to sell for commercial development. The board of management of the school is determined to stop that from happening. It mirrors a situation in St. Anne's Park affecting St. Paul's school, in the constituency in which I live, where the order has sold the lands to a private developer. Those lands were handed to the order by the city council for use as playing fields. A private developer now owns them and is trying to develop them. While there is major local opposition, it is spilt milk.

The issue in Clonkeen College, however, is not spilt milk. We have the bizarre situation where the patron body is now more than threatening to disband the board of management of the school, whose crime is merely defending the interests of the school and the local community. The Minister is the only person who can actually make the decision on this. That might be part of the reason we do not have a representative from the Department of Education and Skills to debate the matter with me. The Minister cannot hide behind constitutional advice, the Department or an Oireachtas committee. The decision is his and his alone. I understand from media reporting that it has to be made by tomorrow.

Will the Department of Education and Skills stand beside the patron body and, effectively, by the developer and sack the board of management? Is the Minister going to stand beside the board and the school community, many members of which are in the Gallery to watch the debate, including one of the local representatives, Councillor Deirdre Kingston? Will the Minister stand with the community and ensure that the board remains intact? It is a very simple question and a simple decision. If it was my decision, I know what I would do. I am interested to hear what has been handed to the Minister of State to read out.