asked the Minister for Education the action he proposes to take to protect the quality of the education in the phasing out period of schools which recently announced their intention to close; and if he considers that a drop in morale by teachers and students over the period involved could do irreparable educational damage.

25.

asked the Minister for Education the action the Government proposes to take in order to protect the interest of the school children attending the schools in Dublin city which recently announced their intention of closing.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 25 together.

In circumstances where schools are closing on a phased basis my Department make every reasonable concession to ensure that a school will continue to have a sufficient number of teachers on the staff to provide instruction in the necessary range of subjects. I consider that such arrangements are also required for the purpose of maintaining morale among teachers and students.

I would not like to get this question confused with the other issues. I am talking about the situation where there might be a phasing out period, over a number of years. Would the Minister accept that there is a strong possibility that the educational environment of the school, because of the natural lack of morale and other reasons, would tend to deprive those inner city children more than they are already deprived, as I tried to point out earlier?

The Deputy seems to have an aptitude for repetition.

It only seems to occur when I ask a question.

I see the Deputy's point. The rules will be bent in such a way that the schools can be staffed and morale kept up to the highest pitch that is possible in the circumstances. I can assure the Deputy of that. As was mentioned already, the idea is to phase out, and this may cause anxiety and also cause staffing problems. However, I will not adopt any kind of doctrinaire approach with regard to staffing in those circumstances.

Would the Minister not agree that the problem of the closure of a school is greater than the sum of the problems of finding places for the pupils and places for the staff? The breaking up of an educational community is involved here.

I accept that view.

Can the Minister indicate what contact he or his Department have with the pupils and the parents of the pupils in schools which are closing over a period with a view to reassuring the pupils and the parents of their continued education?

There is no answer?

The question was asked three times already.

26.