Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 20 Feb 1992

Vol. 416 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - Offaly School Conditions.

Mr. Enright

I wish to refer to the inadequate and dangerous conditions prevailing in Crinkle national school, Birr, County Offaly. The school has a large number of major structural defects. The prefabs at the school are in a particularly bad condition. The windows in one of the prefabs are rotten, with holes under the window sills. The roof is leaking in several places, the doors are rotten and emergency repairs have had to be carried out. The walls of the building are dangerous and there are numerous holes in different parts of the walls. During heavy rain the teacher has to collect the water in buckets and basins. Water is running down the walls beside electric wires and a builder has warned of the danger of the collapse of the roof.

The prefabs and the school itself are inadequately furnished and the furniture is in a very bad condition. Toilet facilities are totally insufficient and of a very poor quality. The school lacks basic hygiene in terms of toilet facilities, drinking water, hot water for washing, etc. There is no adequate storage space for equipment. Because of dampness, the equipment frequently cannot be used in classes.

Crinkle school was originally built to accommodate 90 pupils. Today there are 170 pupils in attendance, and all the classrooms are grossly overcrowded. Playing facilities are practically nonexistent. The concrete in the yard is very dangerous as it is subsiding and is worn in many places. The playing area is mucky and dirty and it is impossible for children to keep their clothes clean because of the damp and muck.

I first raised this matter with the then Minister for Education on 18 October 1989. I put down a question to her on 24 October 1989 and a further question on 14 February 1990. I continually kept in touch with the Minister to highlight the serious problems in the school.

The parents, teachers and pupils are anxious to retain their school in Crinkle. While the physical condition of the school has been particularly bad, through a combination of excellent teachers and population growth the school has been quite successful.

The delay in proceeding with this extension and renovation of the school has been, and continues to be, a matter of major concern to the parents, pupils and teachers. Right through the intervening period I have kept this matter to the forefront with the Department of Education on a continuous and regular basis.

Following this continuous pressure, I was delighted and pleased for everybody concerned when on 30 April 1991 I received a letter from the then Minister for Education, paragraph 2 of which stated: "tender documents have been completed for the scheme and I am glad to inform you that I have now approved the invitation of tenders". I was equally pleased to learn that Crinkle got the go-ahead in the 1991 allocation, according to an article in the Midland Tribune of 11 May 1991.

What concerns me now is why the money that was allocated in 1991 for Crinkle national school was not spent on the work at that school. Can the Minister explain why moneys which were specifically allocated for Crinkle national school were not spent on the school? I consider it grossly unfair that money which were allocated for Crinkle were obviously spent elsewhere. Why was Crinkle so badly treated? It is the duty of the Minister to explain what happened.

The people of Crinkle have been most tolerant, patient and understanding, but enough is enough. They are not prepared to allow a further year pass without a contract being placed immediately and the work commenced.

Matters have come to a head in the school. The children and teachers had to evacuate the school following an invasion of rats and mice. In fact, a mouse ran up one school girl's clothes and bit her. She developed a rash from this bite. This is an indication of just how bad the problem is.

The former Minister for Education, Deputy Davern, read a list of the schools on which money had been spent. Even though £20 million was spent by him in one day and a long list of schools was mentioned, Crinkle national school was not referred to; he merely said that it may be included in the list of projects. This is not good enough.

I ask the Minister here this evening to confirm once and for all (1) if moneys have been allocated in the £20 million sanctioned for school building work on 10 February, (2) when one of the tenders which have already been examined in the Department will be approved and (3) when work will commence on Crinkle school. Planning permission is in order, parish funds are available and everything possibly required from the parents has been properly and efficiently looked after. The parents, pupils and teachers in Crinkle are awaiting a reply from the Minister. I put it to the Minister that the people of Crinkle demand that construction work start immediately to ensure that these 170 students and their teachers do not have to spend another winter in conditions which are so appalling that they resemble a Third World country rather than Ireland in 1992.

I congratulate the Minister and the Minister of State on their appointments. I wish them every luck. I assure both of them that they will have the good wishes of the people of Crinkle if they proceed with the construction of Crinkle school immediately.

Mr. McCartan

And get rid of the mouse.

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Mr. Aylward)

I thank the Deputy for his very kind remarks. I am glad the Deputy has given me the opportunity of outlining my Department's intentions in relation to the proposed extension and improvements to Crinkle national school, Birr, County Offaly.

First, I wish to acknowledge what the Deputy has said in relation to the conditions at the school. I accept fully that conditions are not satisfactory and that the provision of the extension and associated improvements is fully warranted and is now an urgent matter. The Deputy has covered much of the detail in relation to the existing facilities which consist of a permanent building containing three classrooms and two prefabricated units. I am also aware of the concerns of the chairperson of the board of management, the teachers and parents who have been in constant contact with my Department in this matter.

As a response, my Department have received and examined tenders for the project, which consists of three standard classrooms, a general purposes room, which will be funded locally, a teachers' room, essential improvements to the existing building, the provision of a ball court and staff car parking. I am confident that when the project is completed it will be a source of great pride to all concerned in Crinkle.

The Deputy referred to the delays in planning. I acknowledge that there have been delays, but I am sure he will appreciate that the whole process of architectural planning, securing of planning permission, invitation of tenders and their examination is necessarily time consuming. He will also appreciate that some of these arrangements are outside the control of my Department. There is also the important factor that there is a large number of primary school projects on hand and each school makes the case to my Department that their case is worthy of priority. In the present circumstances where there are scarce financial and manpower resources I think the Deputy will accept that some delay is inevitable.

The present position is that tenders have been received and examined for the project. As the Deputy is aware, a capital provision for the scheme has been made in this year's allocation for primary school buildings. The next stage is the collection of the local contribution from the school authorities. My Department will be in touch with the chairperson in this regard at an early date. On receipt of the local contribution, the formal arrangements for the placing of the contract will be put in hands.

I know all involved locally will expect from me this evening an indication as to when building works will actually commence. However, as there is a large number of formalities still to be gone through I am unable at this point to give a precise date for the commencement of the work. Nevertheless, I can assure the Deputy and all concerned that the further procedures will be concluded with the minimum of delay. I have no doubt that the patience and the undoubted commitment of the school authorities and parents will be rewarded by the presence of the builders on site in the not too distant future.