I thank the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform for taking this matter. I must declare an interest in this as my two adult children were pupils in this school, my four and a half year old is due to start his primary education there next September and I was involved in its parents support group for a couple of years in the mid-1970s. Therefore, I am intimately familiar with the issues involved.
What is required here is a clear indication from the Department as to when moneys will be sanctioned and the necessary authorisations given to enable this school to build the additional accommodation which the Department itself considers to be necessary. Following an inspection, it was recommended the accommodation be extended to provide the additional facilities of a new classroom, an ancillary room, a remedial room and an office for the principal.
The letter from the divisional inspector, Mr. Padraig Ó Loinsigh, dated 16 February 1999, stated that, due to the limitations of space on the site, it may be necessary to provide the additional accommodation as a second storey on the existing building. Given that the building is in use, it would be necessary for such work to commence in the summer period. Therefore, there must be forward planning in relation to this. Authorisation to go to the next stage in the planning process has not been received from the Department of Education and Science.
What is the present situation in relation to this school? This is a growing area. There is a waiting list for children to get into this school, as is true of many primary schools in the inner city area. My constituency has lost national schools over the past number of years while, at the same time, household formation and the primary school going population has increased in real terms. There is a chronic need for a response from the Department of Education and Science.
A request was made in 1996. There has been repeated correspondence from the management of the school and Reverend Bertrand, the school manager, to the Department of Education and Science. It is necessary, at this stage, for the Department to give a very clear indication that it agrees with the inspector's report, that the additional accommodation which he recommends as being required is accepted by the senior authorities in the Department, that the necessary architectural drawings are prepared, that the necessary permissions are obtained and that a clear commitment to finance is given in sufficient time to enable the school authorities to proceed to organise the construction of this accommodation at a time which meets the academic timetable of the school.
I hope the Minister is in a position, on behalf of his colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, to give me a clear indication of the precise position at this time.
Mr. O'Donoghue: I have been asked by the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Martin, to apologise sincerely to the Leader of the Labour Party, Deputy Quinn, for his inability to be here this evening. He is unavoidably absent and asked me to take his place.
I thank Deputy Quinn for raising the matter since it affords the Minister an opportunity to clarify the position regarding the provision of additional accommodation for St. Matthew's national school in Irishtown.
This three classroom school currently has an enrolment of 99 and is staffed by a principal and three assistant teachers. The school management applied for additional accommodation in 1996. Following examination of that application, the school authorities were informed the Department was not in a position to approve funding for the proposed scheme due to funding constraints.
Since then, this Government has given a priority to investing in the development and modernisation of school building and the level of funding provided has been increased from £27 million in the 1997 Estimates to over double that amount this year. As a result, many more long delayed and much needed projects have been able to be sanctioned. In addition, the Government has significantly reduced the fund raising burden placed on local communities in relation to school capital projects.
The school authorities in this case renewed their application for additional accommodation in January of this year. The Department of Education and Science's planning unit has reviewed the accommodation needs of the school and has established the school will require four classrooms plus appropriate ancillary accommodation. A technical examination of the existing school is currently being carried out. I have been asked by the Minister for Education and Science to assure Deputy Quinn there will be no unnecessary delays in dealing with this project.
The Dáil adjourned at 5.05 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 27 April 1999.