asked the Minister for Education if, in view of the large number of children who have to be transported daily from Ballyfermot to Whitefriar Street National School, he will take steps to ensure the provision of a national school in Ballyfermot at an early date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ballyfermot National School.
A suitable site has been offered for a large new school for senior girls and for infant boys and girls at Ballyfermot Upper and the planning of the school is being proceeded with. Certain preliminary arrangements have still to be made before my Department will be in a position to sanction a grant towards the cost of the school and before the Commissioners of Public Works will be in a position to authorise the invitation of tenders. These arrangements will necessarily take some time to complete but every effort will be made to expedite matters.
In the meantime, the position with regard to boys will soon be somewhat relieved by steps which are being taken to enable additional accommodation for boys in the Ballyfermot area to be made available in the existing schools there. As well as this, the schools for girls and infants at Ballyfermot Lower, which are at present partly occupied, are nearing completion. They will soon be completed and the additional accommodation which will then be available will considerably relieve the situation as regards girls.
I thank the Minister for his reply but I would ask him to bear in mind the unsatisfactory nature of the present arrangements whereby over a dozen buses have to convey children into the city and back every day. I am sure the Minister will bear that in mind and have the matter expedited.
A very substantial contribution has been made already in the area the Deputy is speaking about where the corporation have had a scheme of 2,938 houses. Substantial school accommodation has already been provided. A certain amount of it has been partly occupied and it is being completed. There are at the present moment about 1,100 children being conveyed by buses to three different school centres in the city. That is a matter that is having the serious and persistent attention of the Department. Questions did arise as to whether or not certain schools were necessary and doubt has been expressed on that now but the matter is one that is very seriously occupying the attention and consideration of the Department.