asked the Minister for Education if he is aware of reports that up to three centre city secondary schools may close in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the educational prospects for their pupils and the employment prospects for their teachers.

28.

asked the Minister for Education the action the Government intend to take to protect the jobs of the hundreds of teachers involved in the imminent school closures in Dublin city; if he will guarantee that there will be no job loss as a result; and whether teachers, if moved to other schools, will lose posts of responsibility or special allowances.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 28 together.

I presume that the schools which the Deputies have in mind are Maria Assumpta School, Gardiner Street, Holy Faith Convent School, Dominick Street and Dominican Convent School, Eccles Street.

The number of teachers in receipt of incremental salary in Maria Assumpta School and in the Holy Faith Convent School, Dominick Street in 1976-77 was 30.

A final decision has not been taken to close Dominican Convent, Eccles Street, though the possibility of such closure has been mentioned. The number of teachers in receipt of incremental salary in that school in 1976-77 was 43.

The closure of the schools would take place on a phased basis and in that respect the main problem in relation to pupil accommodation would be in respect of the availability of places in other schools, particularly in the pupils' own locality for pupils who might otherwise have been admitted to one of the schools which would no longer be accepting pupils after a particular date. This matter will receive appropriate consideration for the purpose of arriving at a satisfactory solution to any problems which may arise.

I appreciate the concern of the teachers on the staffs of the schools in question in relation to their future employment prospects. The factual situation is that the Minister for Education in the discharge of his functions is not in a position to assume responsibility for the placing in alternative employment of teachers on the staffs of secondary schools which may close. The conditions relating to payment of allowances in respect of posts of responsibility and of special functions allowances are governed by the provisions of the Teachers' Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme. The question whether a teacher who transferred from one school to another would be paid an allowance in the school to which he transferred would depend on the nature and condition of his employment in that school.

I should like to ask the Minister if he said that the schools will definitely close and if he accepts, therefore, that the closures are inevitable?

I said in the course of that reply that a final decision had not been taken to close the Dominican Convent, Eccles Street, though the possibility of such closure has been mentioned. The number of teachers in receipt of incremental salary in that school in 1976-1977 was 43.

It is reasonable to presume that the three schools mentioned by him were the ones involved. Certainly, in the context of my question I would be including the repercussions arising from the closure announced today, which the Minister may not have heard of yet, of the Loretto junior school in Crumlin. I should like to ask the Minister if he sees the educational importance of local schools in the community? I should like the Minister to give us some kind of guarantee that he will use every effort possible on behalf of the Government to retain the schools in their open state and for the use of the local community.

I cannot be expected to comment on a school I did not hear anything about.

I heard about this one.

I can assure the Deputy that I have had discussions with representatives from one of the schools concerned and I expressed my strong desire that the school should remain open.

Would the Minister be willing to go so far as to say that if for some reason the religious orders here exercised their entitlement if they wished to withdraw that he would be willing to sympathetically consider the possibility of it operating under lay management, and, if necessary, funded by the Minister's Department?

I will give this guarantee, there will be no pupils seeking a place and, in so far as I can develop the system, there will be no teacher seeking a place.

Can the Minister give an assurance to the House that there will be no question of transporting the pupils out of the centre of the city to some far distant school?

If the Deputy were aware of the facts of the situation with regard to those schools he would know that in the case of a large one —I analysed the figures carefully— very few are from the locality.

How few?

I believe I will be giving the figures in reply to another question.

I have the figures but I would not say "very few".

I should like to ask the Minister whether or not he has a statutory responsibility to provide for the education of any children who may be without places as a result of any school closures and whether, therefore, he will make his best efforts to keep the existing schools open as being the simplest way of dealing with the problem?

I have a statutory obligation, as the Deputy knows, to provide education up to a certain age limit and I will discharge my responsibility in that regard.