In the past I have welcomed various initiatives by the Minister for Education and Science, particularly the IT initiative which he launched almost two years ago when he took up office and his recent announcement on pupil-teacher ratios. However, the hype that sometimes emanates from his Department seems to be far from the reality on the ground. This is especially evident in regard to funding for second level schools throughout the country, and in my constituency in particular, under various capital programmes. All Members receive complaints about pupil-teacher ratios in second level schools.
Pobalscoil Neasain and Grange community college are outstanding second level schools. Pobalscoil Neasain serves the parishes of Baldoyle, mid-Sutton and Sutton and it has a fine academic and extra-curricular record. Grange community college serves the parishes of Donaghmede, Airfield and Kilbarrack and has a similar outstanding record. They are located in two fine communities and I have had the pleasure of bringing classes from both schools into Leinster House.
Unfortunately, both schools were built without adequate recreational facilities. Pobalscoil Neasain is located in Baldoyle, which is a polder, and the local park is below sea level for the majority of the year. As a result, the pupils have been at a serious disadvantage in terms of participating in sporting activity. In 1987 the Government of the day agreed to a new sports hall for the school. Following that year's general election, the new Government, including former Taoiseach, Charles Haughey and "Mack the Knife", the former Minister for Finance, Ray MacSharry, took up office and gutted this project and it disappeared into history.
Between 1992 and 1996 I took up the battle again on behalf of the school and after much campaigning, the former Minister for Education, Niamh Bhreathnach, agreed to sanction a sports hall and get it back on track. There were meetings about the required facilities and so on. When Deputy Martin took up office I expected him to ask my constituency colleague, the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Woods, to dig the sod and get the process under way. I was astonished to learn, in response to a parliamentary question a few weeks ago, that the project has not yet reached tender stage. I had thought it was at the point of being launched, but nothing has happened in the past two years. The Minister said he would proceed with it as resources permit. During the 1997 election his party was committed to that project, as my party has been, because the sports hall is a much needed facility which should have been built by now.
A similar long campaign has been waged for Grange community college, Donaghmede. I thought the project had been approved and was progressing well, although there is disappointment that the facility will not be large enough for basketball or indoor football. As with Pobalscoil Neasáin, the response I received in respect of Grange community college is disappointing as it appears the project is being put on the long finger.
I appeal to the Minister to be true to the promises made in 1997. My colleague, the former Minister, Ms Bhreathnach, did much of the fundamental work to resurrect these projects and put them in train. It is time the Government lived up to its commitments. There has been a long campaign to curb antisocial behaviour by young people on the northside of Dublin. The projects for these schools are urgently needed and would do a great deal to provide recreational facilities. I urge the Minister to get them under way and I would like to be present at the sod turning ceremony by either of the Ministers, Deputy Woods or Deputy Martin, in the coming weeks.
