Fine Gael questions location of VEC school
A September 2008 deadline had been set earlier this year by Education Minister Mary Hanafin for the proposed new school in Diswellstown, a rapidly growing community in the west of the county.
It was also intended that other VECs would follow the example set in the patronage model being designed there, to accommodate children of different faiths reflecting the changing population.
However, as a new primary school was opened in Diswellstown last month — at short notice to cater for a surge in demand is in the area — it is now possible that the VEC school may be developed elsewhere.
Dublin West TD Leo Varadkar said it was disappointing for Dublin 15, which was already experiencing a significant shortage of school places.
“I accept it may not be necessary to establish the new pilot community national school in Diswellstown but I want the minister to tell us where it is going to be located and whether it will be in Dublin 15,” he said.
“Enrolment for this new school will have to begin within the next three or four months. This cannot happen if the minister does not even know where it is going to be located,” Mr Varadkar said.
He said that parents and families in the area, which borders on Castleknock, Carpenterstown, already had an expectation that a multi-faith school would be built locally.
The Department of Education insisted last night that this is still the case although the exact location has yet to be decided.
“The department has asked Fingal County Council to acquire a site in the Diswellstown area for this school as a matter of top priority. It is intended to establish the school in that location from September 2008,” a spokesperson said.
Discussions have already taken place between Ms Hanafin’s officials and representatives of teacher unions, and VECs to agree a model that can be applied around the country, and these are likely to reconvene next month.
One of the main areas of debate are the employment contracts for primary teachers, who normally work for the individual school board of management. Another topic of debate is the how a VEC school should cater for teaching religion to children of all faiths as part of the curriculum.
The Catholic bishops said last month that they will no longer be able to run all primary schools in a society which is no longer predominantly Catholic.
