The Minister for Education has been asked if proper process had been followed in the controversial decision to exclude name ‘Garbally’ from the new amalgamated Clonfert College co-ed school in Ballinasloe.

Raising the issue with Minister Helen McEntee, Roscommon/Galway Deputy Claire Kerrane cited a report from 2001 which laid down some of the protocols governing school amalgamations.

In June, the Board of Management of the new school, Clonfert College, rejected the campaign launched by the Spirit of Garbally group to recognise the school’s heritage by retaining Garbally in the new name and its sports teams.

At the time the group said the decision was a “missed opportunity.”

Deputy Kerrane tabled two Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Education on the issue prior to the Oireachtas rising for the summer, probing the consultative process and asking whether a report on the conduct of school amalgamations – dating from 2001 – had been amended in the interim.

Specifically, Deputy Kerrane asked “whether there is a need to review the processes in place for the amalgamations of second level schools; whether the existing consultation process requires updating when two schools are being amalgamated; if amendments have been made to the Report on the Amalgamation of Second Level Schools published in 2001; if she is concerned that existing measures on school amalgamations do not appear to include all stakeholders; if she is concerned that past pupils were never included in the consultation process.”

She also asked the Minister “if there are specific rules in place in relation to consultation both in the locality and with past pupils in cases in which two schools are amalgamating.”

In her response, Minister McEntee said that the decision-making authority for any change of status – including amalgamations – was the patron/trustees of the school concerned and she said it was open to any patron to submit proposals to the Department for consideration.

“Any proposed change involves extensive consultation at local level and must be well planned and managed in a manner that accommodates the interests of students, parents, teachers, local communities and contributes to an inclusive education system,” she added.

The Minister said she was not aware of amendments being made to the 2001 blueprint on school amalgamations.

Spirit of Garbally spokesman Jack Murray thanked Deputy Kerrane for raising the concerns of many past pupils about the lack of consultation in the process.

“It appears there is a significant deficit in the consultative process for amalgamations. Garbally is not the only school where this lack of consultation, specifically with former pupils, has occurred,” he said.

“For instance, there was such a deficit in consultation with regard to a school amalgamation in the Belturbet area of Co Cavan that the amalgamation was scrapped.

“In the instance of Clonfert College, Garbally past pupils were completely ignored in the process. We now know that the so-called amalgamation blueprint dates from 2001 and has never been updated,” he added.

Pictured: Deputy Claire Kerrane.