Enda Kenny
Question:19 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education if she will authorise the seeking of immediate tenders for provision of a new primary school at Killawalla, Westport, County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Westport Primary School.
Tender documents for the new school at Killawalla, County Mayo have been prepared. The question of the invitation of tenders for the project is being considered in the context of the 1922 budgetary situation and a decision will be conveyed to the school authorities as early as possible.
I am sure the Minister of State is well aware of the deplorable condition of this school. Has he yet received from the building unit final proposals in relation to the new building? Will he give an assurance that there will be sufficient moneys in the capital programme for next year to allow work to start on the new school building some time in 1992?
The tender documents have been prepared but until such time as the 1992 budgetary situation becomes clear after the Estimates, I am not in a position to give any commitment as to the future progress of the school. I accept that it is a very old school with a number of prefabs in poor condition, as is the case with quite a number of other schools throughout the country.
In view of the Minister of State's admission that this school is in very poor condition will he rate it as a high priority in terms of immediate replacement so that, depending on the budgetary situation or on who the Minister is — the Minister of State might himself be in that position — moneys will be made available to make a start in 1992?
I assure the Deputy that it will be given every consideration. It was on a list of schools which would have taken ten years to complete when we took over in the Department of Education at the rate of progress which was being made by the previous Government.
Now it will be 25 years.
I do not wish to go back that far but the new building will be built at a much lower cost and, consequently, much faster than would have been the case had we proceeded according to the work programme followed by the previous Government.
(Interruptions.)
I want to assure Deputy Kenny since this is one of the schools in Mayo which he forgot, that it will have a high priority with the Minister and me.
Is there provision in the plan for a general purpose room in this school? Is the Minister aware of the hardship that the decision not to build general purpose rooms in some new schools will cause to students at national school level?
Mr. Fahey
This is a five classroom school. One of the classrooms is being built to the specifications of a general purpose room but it will be used in the short term as an ordinary classroom. While I quite agree with the comments about general purpose rooms, if we were to build Rolls Royce schools, as had been the case, it would take up to ten years to complete the replacement of all the schools which are hovels. We have had to make cutbacks in the type of school being provided and the result is that within the next year or two all schools which are in a drastic condition can be reconstructed, repaired or replaced.
Surely the Minister is aware that students are not allowed to have their lunches inside.
Back to the hedge schools.