I would like to thank you for affording me the opportunity of raising this issue on the Adjournment. In terms of the national Parliament this might be considered a parochial issue, but it is very near and dear to the hearts of the people in my constituency, particularly in the Prosperous area.
This matter has been ongoing for a considerable time, almost ten years. Two schools side by side, both VEC type schools, one in Clane and the other in Prosperous, require urgent extension and the provision of extra facilities. Agreement was reached with regard to the step by step process which should be followed in regard to the extension to the Prosperous school. While the Clane school was allowed to go ahead, some minor alterations had to be made to the design, etc, which caused delays in the preparations of the plan for the Prosperous school. It was always agreed that both schools should proceed simultaneously and that the catchment area should also be provided for.
However, the Clane school was completed in 1983 and is providing a very good service, but the Prosperous school is essentially in the same condition as it was then. The parents, teachers and students are obviously getting very impatient with the delays in providing extra facilities. I visited the school on a number of occasions, as did a number of politicians in the constituency and we were all horrified that students are in prefabricated accommodation which does not have sanitary facilities. This is obviously very unhealthy and parents are extremely concerned about the health of their children.
I know quite well that there are financial constraints within which the Minister must operate and that applies to all Governments. Nonetheless, this school, its parents, children and teachers have a long standing problem which, as has been agreed in principle, must be dealt with. I am sure that the Minister has in her Department repeated representations numbering well into the thousands from the various interest groups and politicians in County Kildare regarding this matter.
In more recent times, the situation has become particularly worrying in the sense that the Eastern Health Board reported on conditions there on 3 November 1987. Kildare Vocational Education Committee were informed of the result.
The report stated:
There are approximately 260 pupils attending the above school which consists of one school building and a number of prefab units. The main school building consists of 9 classrooms, general office, headmaster's office and male and female sanitary accommodation. This building is in satisfactory condition. However, hot water and soap are not provided at either the boys or girls sanitary accommodation. One towel is provided at the boys and girls toilets. This towel is only changed on a weekly basis.
Prefab accommodation consists of one triple prefab unit, 2 double prefab units, 4 single prefab units, one of which contains sanitary accommodation... the triple prefab unit is 2 years old, the remaining prefab units are 1970, are generally in a dilapidated state, with evidence of holed floors, broken window frames, rodent infestation. These units are unsuitable for use as classrooms and should be replaced without delay. All sanitary accommodation should be provided with running hot and cold water, soap and suitable means of drying...
There has been countless parliamentary questions, letters and acknowledgments, for which I am very grateful, but no final and fruitful reply. I hope to get the final and fruitful reply this evening which we so earnestly desire.
There is also another problem which needs to be borne in mind. When, as is the case here, two schools are developing side by side in adjoining catchment areas, where one school is newly equipped, well developed with all modern facilities and the other, although a good school, has none of these things, the logical progression is that one school will die. The fear is locally that the school in Prosperous, by virtue of failure to take action in relation to the extra accommodation, will literally die. Long before that happens, the morale of the teachers and students will be affected to such an extent that parents will not want to send their children there because, apart from the health reasons and the hazards of having their sons and daughters in unfit and unsanitary accommodation the morale of the staff will degenerate to such an extent that it would not be wise to send children to such a school. I am not saying it will happen in this case but that is the logical progression of what happens in these situations.
Maybe, in the light of yesterday's announcement, the Minister might have at her disposal a little more latitude whereby it might be possible for her to proceed with this project which runs to about £1.3 million.