andMr. Keaveney asked the Minister for Education why the erection of the Gweedore community school, County Donegal, has been delayed; and when construction of the school will commence.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Community Schools.
11.
The community school in Gweedore, County Donegal, has been in operation since September, 1973, in the two existing school buildings which are adequate to cater for present enrolments. Planning for a new building was completed on the basis of the building being provided on the Ard Scoil Mhuire site. Local interests have represented that the school should be provided on a different site. Pending a satisfactory resolution of the problems involved, it is not possible to state when a new building could be provided.
Would the Minister have an early investigation of this alleged problem about sites? Is he aware that this problem which seems to be holding up the commencement of construction in Gweedore is non-existent and would appear to be a manufactured reason for delay in the operation?
The Deputy has more local knowledge than I have, but my understanding of the situation is that my Department and my predecessor were willing to go ahead with the extension of one of the buildings on the Ard Scoil Mhuire site but that there were local objections to this. The Donegal County Council and the board of management said that this was not satisfactory because the site was too restricted and they wanted to establish this school on a new site which had not been acquired. That is the hold-up. If the local interests are willing to go ahead on the existing site I can give the go-ahead to proceed to commence building very quickly.
I understand that the site that has been under discussion for a considerable time is much too small. If at the same time the Minister and his Department are determined to go ahead on this site it is my information that locally there is no final objection to it but that the wisdom would be not to build on too small a site. Would the Minister have another investigation of the situation, because there is no doubt about it that this is either a notional problem or a non-existent one as far as the site is concerned and it is holding up development promised years ago which has not come to fruition.
If what the Deputy says is correct, that there is no final objection to the building on the existing site at the Ard Scoil Mhuire site, then I can give the go-ahead very quickly if he can assure me that this is so.
I am asking the Minister whether or not (1) he is satisfied that the Gweedore community school has been held up for years and (2) if his Department insist on building on the Ard Scoil Mhuire site is he satisfied that it is not too small to accommodate the school and at the same time that there is available——
Let us have finality on this question.
——an adequate third site that could be built on in the morning?
To the best of my knowledge there is no site available. I agree that the site of the existing school is restricted but it is adequate for the buildings and the necessary ancillary buildings that will be needed but it is not sufficient to provide all that plus playing pitches.
Would the Minister want me to inquire about this?
I am very glad to get this information from the Deputy because the understanding of my Department is that this is not the case. If what the Deputy says now is so I will have it investigated immediately.
If the second site is available it is a very big site. There would be no problems about the other site.
The Government have made a very big investment here and cannot just walk away from it.
12.
andMr. Keaveney asked the Minister for Education when he proposes to sanction the erection of a community school in Dungioe, County Donegal; and when construction of the school will commence.
Construction of the new community school in Dungloe, County Donegal, commenced in January of this year. The Deputy must be spending too much time out around the country and not enough in his constituency.