Vol. 331 No. 12
asked the Minister for Education if he will give a date for the commencement of the building of the extra rooms at Ardfinnan national school, County Tipperary; and if his Department have plans to help alleviate the overcrowding in the intervening period.
62.
asked the Minister for Education the proposals he has for providing extensions to Ardfinnan school in South Tipperary as there is a severe lack of accommodation there.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 62 together.
My Department have agreed to extend Ardfinnan national school to bring accommodation to eight classrooms and a general purposes room. Due to the restricted nature of the existing school site, a site extension will be necessary. The Commissioners of Public Works have been asked to furnish my Department with a report on whether an adequate area of land could be made suitable as a site extension for inclusion in the vested site to facilitate the erection of the required additional accommodation and on the drainage works and so on which would be involved. I understand from the Commissioners that their report will be forwarded to my Department at an early date.
Temporary accommodation has been offered by the school authorities to alleviate overcrowding pending the erection of the permanent extension. The Office of Public Works has been asked to inspect this accommodation as a matter of urgency and to report on its suitability.
63.
asked the Minister for Education the present position regarding the provision of a new primary school at Newtown-Dunleckney, County Carlow.
Tenders have recently been invited for the provision of the proposed new primary school at Newtown-Dunleckney, County Carlow. The closing date for the receipt of such tenders was 10 November last.
64.
asked the Minister for Education when the new national school at Craughwell, County Galway will be completed.
The commissioners of Public Works have been requested to prepare sketch-plans for the proposed new national school at Craughwell, County Galway.
It is not possible to state at this stage when building work will be completed.
65.
asked the Minister for Education the present position concerning the provision of a primary school for the River Valley area, Swords, County Dublin.
The examination of tenders for the proposed new primary school in River Valley, Swords, County Dublin, has been completed and the Commissioners of Public Works were authorised on 1 December 1981 to allow the project to proceed to contract. All further arrangements for the contract of this school are the responsibility of the Office of Public Works.
66.
asked the Minister for Education the present position in relation to the proposed new primary schools for Raheen and Barraduff in the parish of Glenflesk, County Kerry.
I understand from the Commissioners of Public Works that sketch-plans for the proposed new national school at Raheen, County Kerry, are nearing completion. Since 1972 four sites had been offered for the new central school at Barraduff and found unsuitable. In 1978 OPW were still in correspondence with chairman's architect regarding the possibility of approving a site after a drainage question would be settled. The chairman had offered a site to replace this school in 1959 and has since been advised to obtain a site extension of 0.4 acres to bring the total area of the site to the required 1.5 acres. It is now understood that the site extension has been provided. It is also understood that sketch-plans have been prepared. Minor details are being finalised and the plans will be sent to this Department soon.
With regard to Barraduff, I understand that the reverend chairman's architect has been in correspondence with the Commissioners of Public Works concerning the suitability of a site, subject to drainage works being carried out.
67.
asked the Minister for Education the up-to-date position in relation to a new school at Bartlemy, County Cork.
Sketch-plans have been prepared and approved for the proposed new national school at Bartlemy, County Cork.
Satisfactory evidence of title to the site has not yet been submitted and agreement on the amount of the local contribution has not been reached. A grant will be sanctioned towards the cost of the school when both of these matters have been resolved. Evidence of title was requested in April 1980 and is still being awaited. In the normal way it would take the Office of Public Works six to eight months to bring the project to the point of inviting tenders.
It is proposed to replace the present school by a new school and the accommodation will consist of three classrooms and a general purposes room.
The original plan was to extend the school.
68.
asked the Minister for Education the present position in relation to the extension to Loughill national school, County Limerick.
Sketch-plans have been approved and a grant has been sanctioned by my Department towards the cost of an extension scheme at Loughill national school, County Limerick. I understand from the Commissioners of Public Works that they are awaiting the submission of full planning permission from the reverend chairman of the board of management before proceeding with the final detailed drawings for the project.
69.
asked the Minister for Education the present position in relation to the extension to Shanagolden national school, County Limerick.
I understand from the Commissioners of Public Works that consideration of the tenders for the proposed extension scheme at Shanagolden national school, County Limerick, are at an advanced stage. The commissioners expect to be in a position to place a contract in the very near future.
70.
asked the Minister for Education the up-to-date position in relation to the provision of extra classrooms for Muff national school, County Donegal.
It is understood from the Commissioners of Public Works that the working drawings for the proposed extension to Muff national school, County Donegal have been completed and that the bill of quantities which was received in October 1981 is being examined. However, the project cannot proceed to the invitation of tenders until the commissioners receive a written agreement to the siting of a septic tank in land adjacent to the school site. My Department are still awaiting the receipt of a written agreement from the reverend chairman's solicitor which is required for the siting of a septic tank in the land adjoining the school. The Department have been in communication with the solicitor about the matter. On 30 September 1981 the solicitor informed the Department that he was in the process of vesting the adjoining property in St. Eugene's Diocesan Trust and when that is completed he will be in a position to grant the necessary right-of-way.
The project is now ready to go to tender subject to confirmation that a right-of-way regarding the siting of the septic tank can be granted. Word is awaited from the solicitor in this matter, and, as the Deputy will appreciate, that is outside my control. I am hopeful that progress will be reported as soon as possible, however.
71.
asked the Minister for Education the position regarding the proposed extension to Derrybeg national school, County Donegal.
72.
asked the Minister for Education when the extension to Derrybeg primary school, County Donegal, will commence.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 72 together.
A grant has been sanctioned towards the cost of the proposed extension to Derrybeg national school, County Donegal, and working drawings are now being prepared by the Commissioners of Public Works. I understand that the completion of the working drawings may take about three months and should a bill of quantities be required, the preparation could take two or three months. No undue delay will occur in my Department on progressing this project.
73.
asked the Minister for Education the present position regarding the provision of extra rooms at Eglantine school, Douglas, Cork.
I am having a comprehensive survey carried out of the Douglas area in Cork, the results of which I would hope to have available in five to six weeks so that I can be in a position to convey an early decision to the school authorities. This survey is necessitated by other educational developments in the area which may result in the Eglantine school being adequate in the long-term, with its existing 16 classrooms, which is a well-balanced school unit, rather than with 20 classrooms which is over-large for a single school and can lead to organisational difficulty. Depending on the results of the survey, I will also be willing to consider the provision of temporary accommodation to meet existing need.
74.
asked the Minister for Education when the extension to Luinneach primary school, County Donegal, will commence.
It is proposed to extend Luinneach national school, County Donegal, by three classrooms and a general purposes room and at present a report from the Commissioners of Public Works concerning the feasability of the proposal is awaited. Should it be feasible to extend the school as proposed the reverend chairman's architect, in consultation with the Office of Public Works, may initiate the preparation of sketch plans.
75.
asked the Minister for Education the present position regarding the proposed amalgamation of Clooncurra and Minard primary schools in the parish of Lispole, County Kerry.
A suitable site has been obtained for the new central school which will replace Minard Castle and Clooncurra national schools. Sketch-plans for the new school have been prepared by the Office of Public Works.
A number of revisions to the sketch plans have been suggested to the Department recently by the rev. chairman on behalf of the local community and these are being examined in consultation with the Office of Public Works.
Further planning may not proceed until (1) agreement has been reached concerning the suggested revisions, (2) satisfactory evidence of title to the site has been established and (3) agreement has been reached with the school authorities regarding the amount of the local contribution to be provided.
Question No. 76 postponed.
