asked the Minister for Education if he will allow the CBS post primary school in Adare, County Limerick, to function for a five year period or until such time post primary facilities are provided for all the students in the area by way of a community school.

I have no objection to the continued functioning of this school in Adare. Arrangements are being initiated for the provision of a school which will serve the long term needs of the area.

Am I right in thinking that the Minister is prepared to allow the Christian Brothers school in Adare provide post primary facilities for students until such time as a community school which will cater for the needs of the students of the area is in operation?

I am prepared to do that but there is another party involved and that party is not prepared to continue.

Is the Minister aware that there is a strong belief in the locality that if he, as Minister for Education, gave the Christian Brothers permission to operate their school for a specified period—for instance, three or five years or until such time as the community school is established in the area—that they would take it upon themselves to provide these facilities?

My understanding of the situation is different. It is that this definite decision of the Christian Brothers involved was conveyed to a meeting of parents held in May, 1975.

Would the Minister be prepared to give an undertaking to the people of this area that until such time as a community school is built he would be prepared to allow the Christian Brothers provide these facilities if they are prepared to do so?

I have no objection to the continuing function of this school in Adare.

Would the Minister be prepared to allow them operate for a period of three or five years?

Yes, but I do not want to be put in the position of appearing to pressure a Religious Order into reversing a decision they already took some years ago and conveyed to the people involved.

If the Christian Brothers are agreeable to provide these facilities then the Minister is prepared to allow them continue, without hindrance, until such time as a community school is provided in the area?

In fairness to the Brothers, I should like to say that I would not wish them to think that anything said here was being said as a way of bringing pressure on them. I would not like the parents, the local representatives or anybody, going to the Christian Brothers and saying that a decision was up to them.

I accept the Minister has to be extremely careful here and I am sure he accepts that I am operating under the same appreciation of what is happening. If the Christian Brothers agreed to operate a school there would he give it his blessing and sanction and allow them to work? Is the Minister aware that this has been a problem area for many years and that the type of approval being given to the operation of the school has been of such a short term nature that it has done harm to the school?

It is hardly short term. The first indication that the secondary school in Adare would close was given ten years ago.

Would the Minister agree that in 1973 his predecessor, Deputy Burke, told the people concerned in the area that the school would close down at the end of that month, a decision which he changed shortly afterwards?

My predecessor withdrew that letter when a certain amount of other information came to him. He found out that the Order involved were pretty certain that they would have to shut the school because of the shortage of vocations and the difficulty of getting teaching staff for the school.

If the Christian Brothers were prepared to provide facilities until such time as a community school is erected would the Minister be prepared to allow them operate?

I have no objection to the continued functioning of this school in Adare.

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