I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this issue.
There is a need to construct extra classrooms, toilets and cloakrooms in Pallaskenry school, County Limerick. There is also a need for store and other facilities. As the proposal has been with the Department for over six years, this should be addressed as a matter of urgency in the construction and building programme which will be introduced shortly by the Department of Education and Science. Pupils are being catered for in two classrooms in totally unsuitable prefabricated buildings. A remedial teacher and resource teacher also work in the building. The buildings have been in use in the school for 15 years and for eight years prior to that elsewhere. It is unacceptable to allow children to be educated in such buildings. Everybody accepts it is unsuitable. It is unfair on teachers who cannot work properly in such conditions.
While money was made available in 1997 to improve the buildings they are still totally unsuitable. The external walls are rotting, there is dry rot in the classrooms and the buildings are cold in winter and warm in summer. I have seen for myself that scaffolding bars have to be used to ensure that the roof does not collapse. Classes are obliged to be taken outdoors in warm weather because of the intense heat. There is no insulation and no toilet facilities. As a consequence, pupils are obliged to cross the main schoolyard to use toilet facilities and this creates enormous difficulties in wet weather. Pupils must cross from the permanent structure to the prefabricated buildings in similar conditions for remedial and resource teaching. I am sure the Minister of State will agree this is unsatisfactory. There are currently eight teachers in the school including a remedial and resource teacher.
In 1999 the board of management wrote to the Department of Education and Science seeking approval for the replacement of the prefabricated buildings. A full review of enrolment trends was undertaken by the planning section of the Department, following which it was considered the school's medium to long-term requirements were six permanent classrooms, a general purpose room and ancillary accommodation. In August 1996 the Department informed the board of management that they considered the provision of an additional classroom, a general purpose room and ancillary accommodation would satisfy needs.
Pallaskenry is a satellite town of Limerick. Its population has quadrupled over the past 20 years. A total of 163 pupils attend the school and the population will continue to rise as there is a proposal to provide sewerage schemes in the area, which will lead to enormous housing developments and, consequently, greater demand for educational facilities.
The Government's policy is to develop towns and villages and, hopefully, Pallaskenry will benefit. Council housing estates have been built there in addition to development initiated by Aughinish Alumina. There also have been private developments. It is an attractive town to which more families will move.
I pay tribute to the teachers who continue to work in such unsatisfactory conditions and the parents and children for their tolerance. Demonstrations often take places outside the Houses of the Oireachtas. The people of Pallaskenry will not do so as they will protest in a quiet and dignified fashion in an effort to have the school completed. I support the strong views of those people and ask the Minister of State to ensure Pallaskenry is included in next year's allocation of moneys.
A sum of £20,000 was spent on prefabricated buildings in October 1997. At the time the Minister's officials in Tullamore gave me a guarantee that if this was accepted as an interim move by the board of management and the parents, it would not interfere in any way with the construction of new classrooms, which were and are still required. I plead with the Minister of State to respond to the real need of the pupils of Pallaskenry national school. I have witnessed the conditions and I am not being political on this issue. I am aware of the Minister of State's concern and I ask him to remember the school when money is being allocated next year.