Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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128. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) is being amalgamated with another 18 km away; and if this course of action will be reversed in view of the fact that it will cause considerable hardship to parents and students and significantly undermine the ethos of the school that has been in place for many decades. [52472/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm to the Deputy that the decision making authority for school amalgamations belongs to the Patron/Trustees of a school, and this is subject to the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills. Any proposed changes involves extensive negotiations at local level and must be well planned and managed in a manner that accommodates the interests of students, parents, teachers, local communities and contributes to an inclusive education system.  

In this regard, correspondence from the relevant ETB was received in recent days.  Once my Department has had an opportunity to consider same further contact will be made with the ETB.