§ Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the advice given or instructions issued by the Department of Education regarding the closure of schools for the visit of His Holiness the Pope to the Irish Republic in 1979; and what discretion was given to schools principals.
§ Mr. Goodhart[pursuant to his reply, 13 November 1979, c. 551]: The Department of Education for Northern Ireland advised all schools authorities that any school which wished to close on 1 October might do so and that this closing 672W should be regarded as exceptional and therefore additional to those holidays which are otherwise authorised under the Department's regulations for schools.
It was a matter for individual school authorities to decide how much discretion should be given to school principals.