Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 Mar 1993

Vol. 428 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - Raheen (Wexford) National School.

Mr. Byrne

I have tabled this matter for discussion on six or seven occasions clearly showing the seriousness of the situation at Raheen national school over the past ten years.

Due to expanding numbers a secondhand pre-fab was purchased to accommodate a fourth teacher. This was to be a temporary arrangement, but ten years later the same teacher is still trying to educate pupils in that structure. At present, there are five holes in the floor and the exterior door is hanging off while two of the outside panels are damaged beyond repair. There are no toilet facilities in the pre-fab and the grossly inadequate toilet facilities are situated in the original school building, which is separate.

The original school, part of which has a flat roof, suffers from chronic damp, as indeed does the pre-fab. The wiring and plumbing is inadequate throughout. In addition, the windows are rotten and coupled with inadequate lighting and heating makes the school unsuitable and, indeed, dangerous. Now the school is rat infested. Everything I have said is attested to in a report from the health board's environmental health officer which was submitted to the Minister last year.

Raheen national school needs a proper extension and refurbishment programme immediately. The local community are not prepared to patch up or stand for this situation any longer. I pay tribute to the local community who at the drop of a hat were prepared to do their utmost to repair holes, replace chutes, slates and so on. However, their frustration and anger has been worsened by the insulting disregard of the Department of Education and in representing the community on this matter I have come to share their anger. Repeated requests for a meeting with the Minister have been refused. Representations from my office have been ignored. When dealing with Civil Service channels was no longer of any avail, repeated telephone calls were made to the Minister's programme manager over three weeks and they failed to elicit even the courtesy of a reply until today. A further reply promised this afternoon did not materialise. Conversations between people in my office and the officials responsible in the Department yielded nothing but gross offence.

An Ceann Comhairle

There should be no such references to officials. The Minister, and she alone, is responsible.

(Interruptions.)

An Ceann Comhairle

Officials should not be referred to adversely.

Mr. Byrne

As I am seeking a positive reply from the Minister and as frustration has been building up over some time, I must tell the real story.

When an official was questioned about the rodent infestation at Raheen the reply was, "if there is a hole in the floor what can you expect?" That same official had already told the principal to spend a few bob patching things up. The people of Raheen are no longer prepared to do that. Were it not for the community in Raheen, the Minister would have had to build a new school years ago. It is deeply insulting that they should have their efforts in regard to their school sneered at with jibes about "back-packing" rodents. The project would cost approximately £50,000, excluding local contributions which are being raised enthusiastically. Officials have recently offered a new pre-fab which would cost in excess of £20,000 and would be only a temporary solution. Such a solution would be grossly wasteful of taxpayers' money.

The Minister should consider this problem logically with a clear eye on the long term. The children of Raheen are not second class citizens and neither are their parents, their teachers or their public representatives and we are not prepared to be treated as such. The Minister for Education's stated principles are laudable and I demand that they be put into practice at Raheen immediately.

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

This is a welcome opportunity to clarify for the House the position regarding Raheen national school, County Wexford.

The response to the Deputy's question derives from the budget reality that it is never possible to redress, in any one financial year, all reasonable demands for improvements in national school accommodation within the funds available. This has always been the case in the past and I suspect will continue to be the case in the future given that resources are always scarce in relation to the demands upon them. This is not to deny that the project in question at Raheen is a very deserving case and that the improvements in accommodation should be made as soon as possible.

Mr. Byrne

Hear, hear.

Ms Bhreathnach

I am glad the Deputy is listening. The present accommodation at this school consists of three permanent classrooms and one prefabricated classroom. The staff comprise a principal and three assistant teachers, and the current enrolment is 97 pupils.

On foot of the application made to my Department for the provision of a permanent extension a major building project was approved including the provision of a classroom, staff room/library and store room, together with necessary works to the existing building. The new classroom is to replace the existing prefabricated classroom to which the Deputy has referred and which my Department accepts is not in good condition.

However, the proposed extension is one of over 150 projects which were at pre-contract stage in the latter part of 1992. Only a certain number of projects which were selected on grounds of priority could be listed to go to contract in 1993.

I assure the Deputy that the project will continue to be sympathetically considered for inclusion in the capital programme.