I thank the Chair for giving me permission to raise this very important matter on the Adjournment. As it is the first time I have faced the Minister across the House, I should like to congratulate her on her appointment as Minister for Education. I hope that during her period in office, whether it be long or short — and I hope it will be short — she will get the job fulfilment she expects to get from her position.
The matter I am raising refers to a small rural national school situated approximately two miles from Ballina. It is a timber prefab building, possibly the only full prefab timber school in the country. It was started in 1967, when two rooms were built, and a further room was added in 1975. It was constructed on a very damp site, despite the best efforts of the parents, who have put in a considerable amount of time and money during the years in an effort to make the ground and building suitable as a premises in which to educate their children.
The parents are angry, frustrated and annoyed at the delay in completing the school or in getting information regarding the present position. There was a meeting last Monday night and the parents decided reluctantly, after a long discussion, to withdraw their children from the school until they get some definite information on the situation. They were influenced in this decision by the fact that one of the parents discovered that the roof of the building is no longer safe. They are going to put struts on the roof to make certain it does not fall in while classes are going on.
This building actually creaks when there is a strong wind. The INTO have found the building to be substandard. Toilets are completely inadequate and Rentokil are at the school on a regular basis because the whole area is infested with rats. It is a common sight for teachers to have to bury dead rats. There has also been an outbreak of gastro-enteritis in the school. I am asking the Minister, although I know she has a very full schedule, to meet the parents to reassure them as to what the present position of the school is and when it will be possible to have contract documents drawn up. I am asking the Minister to put pressure on the Board of Works to have these contract documents drawn up within ten to 12 weeks so that tenders can be invited at the end of June and work on the construction of the school could start at the end of October. I am asking her if she can give a guarantee that this will be done because the expertise is available in the Board of Works, especially since the decentralisation programme has been cancelled and there are a number of architectural teams in the Board of Works at present.
The parents are particularly incensed at the wrong information they got at the meeting on Monday night last. They were assured that the sketch plans had been prepared by the Board of Works and had been sent to the Department of Education, but inquiries made by me on Tuesday proved that this was not so. I do not know if the Minister has any up-to-date information. These sketch plans were to be forwarded to the Department of Education today and I do not know whether that was done. I am sure the Minister, as a parent, understands the anguish, fears and frustration that parents of children attending this very dilapidated school are experiencing. I am sure she will also understand their annoyance. If she has the political will, she can pressurise the Board of Works to put the expertise that is available to work so that building on this school can start this year. I would be grateful if she would meet the parents so that she could assure them that work will go ahead as quickly as possible. I would like to thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for giving me the opportunity of raising this matter.