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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 9 Mar 1995

Vol. 450 No. 4

Adjournment Debate. - Cashel (Tipperary) School.

It is regrettable that it is necessary for me to raise this issue on the Adjournment. I speak of a very special school in my constituency in Cashel, County Tipperary, a school called Scoil Chormaic which deals with mildly handicapped children. At present it caters for 135 pupils aged five to 18 years. Scoil Chormaic was built to cater for children with mild learning difficulties but because of its generosity it caters for children with multiple disabilities such as physical disability, hearing disability, visual impairment, autism, behavioural disorders, language disorders and moderate learning disability.

In recent days much has been spoken here about a caring society. If we were a caring society. I would not need to raise this item on the Adjournment. The children catered for in Scoil Chormaic are special children with special needs who deserve special accommodation. It is with some embarrassment that I say that the students of this school are studying in appalling conditions. The teachers are trying to cope and help those children in totally unsuitable circumstances, to such an extent that during the heavy rainfall of the past few months the classrooms were leaking and, for safety's sake, these special children had to be removed from the school and taken home. Must we not question the aims and aspirations of our educational system if students such as those in Scoil Chormaic are not getting the type of facilities and the environment they need to make progress?

No words of mine could express my admiration for the principal and staff of that school. Is it right that the principal of that school had to meet public representatives to obtain for her students proper accommodation that should come automatically from the Department of Education? But for the generosity of the board of management, the parents and the people of South Tipperary who continually helped to raise funds for facilities, I shudder to think what sort of facilities I would be seeking for that school now.

This problem can be solved overnight and it is not in many circumstances that one can make that statement. It can be done because of the provision of a new community school in Cashel. Excellent premises are available to Scoil Chormaic from the Christian Brothers community in Cashel. While the situation is being looked at no decision is forthcoming and there is red tape, delay, many phone calls and letters. I am not prepared to allow that to continue for much longer. I will stand up for the students of Scoil Chormaic and I admire the work being done there by the principal and teachers. Will anybody disagree with me when I say that they deserve proper accommodation? Do they have to be in a school where the roofs are leaking, where students can trip and fall? These students need the best quality of educational services that we can deliver. The staff and parents of the school are very patient but I must warn that they are not prepared to accept these conditions any longer.

We all welcome better facilities for schools but I apologise to no one for saying that schools such as Scoil Chormaic in Cashel deserve priority. I hope I will have a positive response tonight and that very shortly the Department of Education will make available to the school the premises that are being generously offered by the Christian Brothers. Those premises are in good repair, vacant and waiting to be filled but for the red tape and hassle. If the Department does not act quickly there will be an accident in that school which will cost a lot of money. I do not want that to happen. I do not want any child to be fearful of any kind of dangers.

I want those teachers who give 100 per cent of their energies and resources to those students to have a proper environment and I hope that my plea on their behalf will be successful.

I am glad the Deputy has given me the opportunity of outlining my Department's intention in relation to the provision of suitable permanent accommodation for Scoil Chormaic, Cashel, County Tipperary. I understand the frustration, impatience and concern of Deputy Ahearn because she has described the position in very graphic detail.

The background information on the school is that the current enrolment is 131 pupils and the staffing comprises the principal and nine assistants, plus a concessionary temporary teacher. A slight increase in enrolment is forecast. Scoil Chormaic was originally built to cater for children with mild learning difficulties but now caters for children with multiple disabilities, as stated by Deputy Ahearn. They are children with physical, hearing, visual impairment, autism, behavioural disorders, language disorders and moderate learning disabilities. The age profile of the pupils attending the school ranges from five to 18 years.

My Department's policy is to transfer mildly mentally handicapped pupils to ordinary national schools where feasible. However, only a small minority of students tend to transfer back to ordinary schools once enrolled at Scoil Chormaic. Pupils at present enrolled at this special school are considered long term enrolments. Long term accommodation arrangements are therefore necessary to accommodate these pupils. In addition to the existing mildly mentally handicapped pupils attending this school, a group of autistic pupils are also enrolled. The intention is that a class will be formed specifically suited to the needs of the autistic children.

My Department is fully aware of the unsatisfactory condition of the accommodation at Scoil Chormaic and has been actively engaged in measures to alleviate immediate problems and to secure a satisfactory long term solution. The existing accommodation of Scoil Chormaic consists of eight permanent classrooms and ancillaries. In addition, two new prefabricated classrooms with toilets were approved on a rental basis by my Department in September 1994 to replace the unsuitable accommodation then in use for two classes. The two prefabricated classrooms are now in use as classrooms. Access ramps were also provided to ensure pupil safety. It was decided to supply the classrooms on a rental basis rather than on a permanent basis pending a policy decision on the future of the school premises. The offer of vacant spare classrooms in other schools was unacceptable to the school authority.

Due to rationalisation in Cashel at second level, an existing secondary school together with adjoining buildings became vacant in June 1994. The second level school is now accommodated in a new community school which has been operational since September 1994 in a new building. This has left the old school vacant.

The Department was approached with a view to utilising the vacant secondary school, together with other buildings and grounds within the complex as well as a playing field, as a future home for the special school — Scoil Chormaic. This offer meant that a thorough examination and assessment of the suitability of the existing Scoil Chormaic, the possibility of future expansion, costings and feasibility had to be undertaken so that comparisons could be made with the secondary school option. Both schools had to be considered before a decision on the best option for the future of Scoil Chormaic could be made. The possibility of an exchange of buildings was also raised by the representatives of the secondary school.

Accordingly, the Department's professional advisers were asked to carry out a detailed survey of both schools and to recommend the upgrading requirements, the feasibility of expansion and the detailed costings involved in each case. This assessment and some detailed necessary investigations arising from the surveys indicated that identifiable problems required further investigation. Further assessment is still ongoing in my Department.

It is expected that this process will shortly be finalised and it will then be possible to engage in meaningful negotiations with the agents of the secondary school. In view of the strong argument put forward very effectively tonight by Deputy Ahearn, I am hopeful that a satisfactory long term solution to the accommodation problems of Scoil Chormaic will soon emerge.

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