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Education and Skills – School Patronage Maynooth 21st January 2014

21st January 2014 - Bernard Durkan TD

Uimhir:281, 282

Ceist Pharlaiminte

Chun an Aire Oideachais agus Eolaíoctha
To the Minister for Education and Science

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills in the context of meeting the requirements as set out by the school authorities at Maynooth Post Primary School, County Kildare, the extent to which the preferred options as expressed by the various school authorities in the area has been borne in mind and is accepted by his Department; if the unique nature and seamless structure of education in Maynooth, from primary to third level is accepted; if due regard will be taken in the context of the need to ensure that the future provisions and structure of second level education in the area reflects the strongly
expressed preferred views of the persons as indicated in a local plebiscite; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

– Bernard J. Durkan.

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if in the determination of the format of the post-primary educational requirements in Maynooth, County Kildare in respect of school buildings at Maynooth Post Primary School, the
Kildare-Wicklow Education and Training Board has been made aware of the strongly preferred options by parent groups in the area that the proposed two new school buildings should be amalgamated under a single board of management with a principal and deputy principals, that such management would be responsible for enrolment policy and administration; if his Department or the
Kildare €“Wicklow Education and Training Board have the primary statutory responsibility in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

-Bernard J. Durkan.

* For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 21st January, 2014.
Reference Number: 2922/14, 2923/14

Freagra

Minister Ruairí Quinn

I propose to take questions 281 and 282 together.


I remain of the view that the optimum configuration for the two post-primary schools for Maynooth and, indeed, the best provision that can be made for the students in the area, is two fully vertical schools.  The Deputy will be well aware of my reasons for this from our meetings on this matter and from my response to his recent Parliamentary Question.    

I am aware of the desire locally to avoid issues of duplication or intra-community rivalry in the establishment of a second school and this has resulted in a new proposal from the Parents’ Group to amalgamate the two schools, either temporarily or permanently. I believe, however, that there are a number of practical operational policy measures that can be implemented, with the agreement of parents and school leadership, to foster a stronger sense of common identity and to benefit from the advantages of shared resources, while maintaining two separate school entities. My Department will now be engaging with the Kildare and Wicklow ETB to consider this and I expect that the ETB will, in turn, be engaging further with the school leadership and parents in this regard.