Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 24: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if other Deputies in the Houses of the Oireachtas have been misled in reply to parliamentary questions as this Deputy was with the response given to Parliamentary Question Nos. 257 and 258 of 20 February 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22775/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I am happy to clarify this matter for the Deputy and also to assure him that there was no attempt to mislead him in the reply to his earlier questions. At the time of his previous Parliamentary Questions on 20th February 2008, the issue of patronage of the two new primary school buildings in Gorey referred to by the Deputy had not been decided and finalised.

The Department had made a written proposal to the Patrons of the two existing primary schools in Gorey seeking their formal agreement to relocate their existing schools to the new school buildings for which planning permission had been applied. These written proposals were forwarded to the patron bodies of the schools concerned on 11th February 2008. No formal response to these proposals had been received from the Patrons at the time of the earlier Parliamentary Questions and therefore it was not possible to state that the issue of patronage had been decided and finalised at the time.

Detailed agreement to these proposals were subsequently achieved with the Patrons and arrangements are well advanced for the two schools concerned to move to the new school buildings at the commencement of the new school year. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.