Dáil Éireann - Volume 437 - 26 January, 1994

Written Answers. - Ballaghaderreen (Roscommon) School.

Mr. T. Foxe Mr. T. Foxe

1418

[1418] 88. Mr. T. Foxe asked the Minister for Education when the new single school complex in Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon, will be in operation; if vocational and technical subjects will be given equal status with academic subjects; if the posts of principal and vice-principal will be open to all eligible teachers; the position regarding schools in Ballaghaderreen in September 1994; if there will be an amalgamation of a vocational school, a convent school and a voluntary secondary school, whether this is the first time there was such an amalgamation; if all teachers in the three centres will be guaranteed their jobs without any loss, whether financial or in terms of status; the number of A posts and B posts involved; the number of permanent teachers at present in the three schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach) Niamh Bhreathnach

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach): It is the intention that the new school in Ballaghaderreen should come into operation from the beginning of the school year 1994-95. This will be a voluntary secondary school replacing two existing secondary schools and a vocational school. A comparable amalgamation involving the replacement of a secondary school and a vocational school took place in Swinford, County Mayo in 1992.

While the choice of subjects to be provided within a particular school is a matter for the school authorities, within the broad parameters laid down by the Department, one of the primary purposes of rationalisation is to make it possible for schools to offer a broader range of curriculum choice. I am confident that the school authorities will avail of the capacity of the new school to offer their students a broad and balanced choice of subjects.

1419

The appointment of the principal and vice-principal of the amalgamated school is a matter for the school authorities in the first instance. On the general question of staffing, there are at present 53 permanent [1419] teachers on the staff of the three schools in Ballaghaderreen, including ten holders of A-post allowances and 16 holders of B-post allowances. Discussions will be held shortly with the interested parties on the staffing of the school following rationalisation and I do not wish to pre-empt those discussions. However, I can say at this stage that no permanent teacher will lose his/her job as a result of the rationalisation and the usual conditions in relation to the retention of post-of-responsibility allowances will apply.

Dáil Éireann 437 Written Answers. Ballaghaderreen (Roscommon) School.

Questions

19940126