Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Jun 2002

Vol. 553 No. 5

Adjournment Debate. - School Accommodation.

Mr. Wall

I thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, and the Minister for agreeing to discuss this matter. Brannockstown is a beautiful and historic village in the catchment area of the Naas, Newbridge triangle which has been designated by the relevant Departments and State agencies as an area for development. Unfortunately, the facilities in the school in Brannockstown do not match what the Government intends for the area.

I recently visited the school and it is unbelievable that we expect small children in a national school to put up with such conditions. The school secretary has no secretarial facilities and operates from the back of one of the classrooms. The remedial teacher works in a pre-fab building measuring 8 ft. by 6 ft. which is also used as the principal's office. An extra pre-fab building has been provided. The village has been affected by the Celtic tiger economy and there is local housing development. The local people have taken the initiative and are trying to improve conditions in the school. One of their priorities is the provision of a fourth teacher. At present the school is staffed by a principal and two assistant teachers. Classes are totally overcrowded.

The historic value of the area is well documented in the annals of history. The school is adjacent to Pastor Dunlop's church. He is also involved in the school and is very disappointed to see that this is the best we can offer the children of the area. I cannot over-emphasise the importance of this school.

One would have to visit the school to appreciate the extent of overcrowding in the classrooms and the problems encountered by teachers and pupils. One could not say the teachers and the board of management are not active on behalf of their school. When one passes the school premises one can see how well the school is maintained and looked after. It is clear that the board of management want the school to progress. The sur roundings of the school are as neat and tidy as one could possibly expect. However, when one goes into the classrooms and sees the pressure experienced by the teachers and the numbers of students crammed in, it is impossible to imagine how a teacher can work in such circumstances. I ask the Minister to draw the Department's attention to the need for a fourth teacher to alleviate the overcrowding and to progress the application on behalf of the board of management and the teachers for a new school in this area. It is an area that would benefit from it as it has prospects for future development. People want to come to that area to live and bring children to school. The existing conditions make that impossible and the teachers want to talk to the INTO to have the school included on its list. It is sad that such an historic village has to suffer in this way. I ask the Minister to consider providing a fourth teacher and a new school in this village.

Mr. Cullen

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the position of the Department of Education and Science regarding the application by the school management authorities for a new school building to replace Brannockstown national school, Brannockstown, Kilcullen, County Kildare.

Brannockstown national school is one of three primary schools in the parish of Kilcullen. The other schools are St. Joseph's national school, Halverstown, and St. Brigid's national school, Kilcullen, which is located approximately three miles from Brannockstown national school. There is considerable spare accommodation at St. Brigid's national school. St. Joseph's national school, which is located approximately four miles from Brannockstown national school, is experiencing a decline in pupil enrolment.

Enrolments at Brannockstown national school have been increasing gradually in recent years. The school had an enrolment of 74 pupils on 30 September 2001 and has a staffing of a principal and two mainstream assistant teachers plus shared resource and remedial teachers, neither of whom is based at the school.

Before improvement works are approved for any school, it is necessary to carry out a long-term enrolment projection on which to base the school's future accommodation requirements. This process involves a detailed analysis of previous enrolment patterns at the school, projected intake of pupils from within the catchment area, together with the local inspector's report and the capacity of existing schools to meet demand. Account is also taken of other factors such as significant housing development, if any, which might impact on the primary school-going population in the area. In this instance, attention has been drawn to the fact that pupils from outside the catchment area are being enrolled in Brannockstown national school and this matter will have to be addressed by the boards of management of the schools concerned. A decision on the school's long-term accommodation requirements will be taken and notified to the school authorities as soon as possible.

Pending the determination of the school's permanent requirements, the Department of Education and Science is addressing the short-term accommodation needs by way of the provision of temporary accommodation.