asked the Minister for Education if he has received a request to meet a deputation from the parents' association of the Dún Laoghaire School of Art; if he will accede to the request; and, if so, when.

16.

asked the Minister for Education if he will meet a deputation of the Dún Laoghaire School of Art Parents' Association, County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 16 together.

I have received a request to meet a deputation from the Dún Laoghaire School of Art Parents' Association.

As I stated in reply to questions on 31 January last, a request has been received from Dún Laoghaire Borough Vocational Education Committee for a meeting with my Department to discuss the recognition of the Art Department of the Dún Laoghaire Technical Institute as a separate entity. Arrangements for this meeting are in train.

I shall communicate in due course to the Dún Laoghaire School of Art Parents' Association my decision on their request for a meeting with me.

Is the Minister saying that he has not made a definite decision yet on whether to meet the association?

The Minister is saying that he will first meet the statutory body charged with the development of vocational education and then he will meet the parents.

When is it intended that the Minister will meet the VEC and will he give a categorical assurance that he will then meet the parents?

There is a personal matter involved in that the chief education officer for the area has been ill, as some of the Deputies will be aware. This has delayed the proposed meeting with the statutory authority. Following that meeting we shall make arrangements for a meeting with the parents' committee.

Could the Minister state when the request for a meeting with the VEC was first received in his Department?

Yes, a meeting was suggested on 27 October 1977. The chief education officer, Mr. Clayton, was ill and the meeting could not be held on that account. There were questions here on 31 January and we contacted the office in Dún Laoghaire by telephone in order to arrange a preliminary meeting, but there has not yet been any reaction. The CEO is not yet back to full-time duty.

Are we to take it that because of the illness of a member of staff, though he is a senior member, the work of his department with regard to important issues grinds to a halt?

That is a separate question. I am ruling that it is not relevant.

It is a shoddy excuse for prevarication.

It is not an excuse, it is an explanation. I do not make excuses; I explain what happened.

If we allow questions of this type we could go on for ever.

With respect, that is the excuse he gave.

I do not think that heat is necessarily light.

As an expert on heat I accept the Minister's word.

I thank the Deputy.