I raise the question of the refurbishment of the Holy Spirit schools which are situated in the centre of the Ballymun housing estate. Ballymun housing estate was a quick fix response to the housing crisis in Dublin in the early sixties. Families drawn from numerous areas of the city and county were placed in a new "high rise town" but the new town had not the necessary facilities to meet the needs of these developing families. As with the development of the Ballymun housing estate over the past 25 years, the history of the Holy Spirit schools is testimony to the State's neglect of primary schools and their pupils.
The problems regarding the schools pre-date their foundation in 1967. They were build in response to the demands created by the housing crisis. As with the high rise flats, I question the lack of foresight during the planning stage. If the Ballymun housing estate was meant to serve Dublin as a long term solution why were these buildings erected with the poorest of materials? Both schools are built with softwood panels which need to be maintained on an annual basis. Sadly these softwood external panels have only been painted once in the 26 years. Can one imagine the condition of a house that only received one coat of paint in 26 years? Worse, this building was never painted internally until a group of concerned parents recently raised the money to do so.
It is unacceptable that the parents of children attending the Holy Spirit schools, the majority of whom are on social welfare, should be expected to raise the funds to provide a bright environment for their children while the Department of Education has under-funded primary education for years. The Department has failed to fight its corner to ensure an adequate budget for building improvements from the Department of Finance. The Minister has stated that she will allocate the increased funding for the capital school building programme in a fair and transparent manner.
I am very pleased that in the past week the Minister has approved funds for remedial works to the roofs of the Holy Spirit schools. While this is greatly appreciated, the boards of management and the parents are very anxious that the comprehensive refurbishment programme will follow without delay. Unfortunately, the experience of seeking funds for refurbishment over the past five years has been anything but fair and transparent. The response from the Department has ranged from denying the existence of the problem and commissioning reports to expressions of concern by successive Ministers. I know the Minister for Education intends that spending in her Department will be on the basis of priority and not political consideration. She has said that works on substandard schools for which she has sought funding must be completed within the next three years.
At a recent public meeting in the Holy Spirit schools I witnessed the anger and frustration of hundreds of parents and the teachers who are no longer prepared to be fobbed off by empty promises. The parents fully support the position of the 40 teachers who have been balloted on strike action if their schools are not included in this year's Estimates. I trust that the Minister for Education's deeply held concern for the 800 disadvantaged pupils at these schools will ensure that remedial works on the schools will be included in the forthcoming estimates. Following her recent visit, the Minister no doubt realises the great efforts being made by parents and teachers.
The Holy Spirit schools are the focal point of the community in the Sillogue parish. There is a tremendous respect in this deprived community for the work, dedication and commitment of the teachers over the years. There is an exceptional bond between the schools and the community. What angers everybody is the obvious neglect of the school building over the years. How can a community be expected to respect an institution which is neglected by the authorities? The refurbishment of the flat complex and the shopping centre in Ballymun is welcome, but as a public representative I find it strange that various public bodies and other Departments are prepared to invest in the future of the area yet our most valuable asset, our children, is neglected. If we continue in this unsatisfactory manner we will manage only to alienate and marginalise the products of such an uncaring system.
I whole-heartedly agree with the Minister's assertion that we must prioritise when dealing with scarce resources. I accept fully that a clear set of criteria must be established to ensure that the capital programme for schools is fair and is seen to be fair. Under any criteria the present condition of the Holy Spirit schools is totally unacceptable and not conducive to learning. I urge the Minister to guarantee as a top priority that these schools will be refurbished completely and not in a piecemeal fashion. I ask her to ensure that we are given a clear time scale on the full refurbishment of these schools. It is about time that the faults of the past 26 years were rectified once and for all.
