Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 Nov 2001

Vol. 545 No. 3

Adjournment Debate. - Schools Building Projects.

Mr. Neville

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this issue.

There is a need to construct extra classrooms, toilets and cloakrooms in Pallaskenry school, County Limerick. There is also a need for store and other facilities. As the proposal has been with the Department for over six years, this should be addressed as a matter of urgency in the construction and building programme which will be introduced shortly by the Department of Education and Science. Pupils are being catered for in two classrooms in totally unsuitable prefabricated buildings. A remedial teacher and resource teacher also work in the building. The buildings have been in use in the school for 15 years and for eight years prior to that elsewhere. It is unacceptable to allow children to be educated in such buildings. Everybody accepts it is unsuitable. It is unfair on teachers who cannot work properly in such conditions.

While money was made available in 1997 to improve the buildings they are still totally unsuitable. The external walls are rotting, there is dry rot in the classrooms and the buildings are cold in winter and warm in summer. I have seen for myself that scaffolding bars have to be used to ensure that the roof does not collapse. Classes are obliged to be taken outdoors in warm weather because of the intense heat. There is no insulation and no toilet facilities. As a consequence, pupils are obliged to cross the main schoolyard to use toilet facilities and this creates enormous difficulties in wet weather. Pupils must cross from the permanent structure to the prefabricated buildings in similar conditions for remedial and resource teaching. I am sure the Minister of State will agree this is unsatisfactory. There are currently eight teachers in the school including a remedial and resource teacher.

In 1999 the board of management wrote to the Department of Education and Science seeking approval for the replacement of the prefabricated buildings. A full review of enrolment trends was undertaken by the planning section of the Department, following which it was considered the school's medium to long-term requirements were six permanent classrooms, a general purpose room and ancillary accommodation. In August 1996 the Department informed the board of management that they considered the provision of an additional classroom, a general purpose room and ancillary accommodation would satisfy needs.

Pallaskenry is a satellite town of Limerick. Its population has quadrupled over the past 20 years. A total of 163 pupils attend the school and the population will continue to rise as there is a proposal to provide sewerage schemes in the area, which will lead to enormous housing developments and, consequently, greater demand for educational facilities.

The Government's policy is to develop towns and villages and, hopefully, Pallaskenry will benefit. Council housing estates have been built there in addition to development initiated by Aughinish Alumina. There also have been private developments. It is an attractive town to which more families will move.

I pay tribute to the teachers who continue to work in such unsatisfactory conditions and the parents and children for their tolerance. Demonstrations often take places outside the Houses of the Oireachtas. The people of Pallaskenry will not do so as they will protest in a quiet and dignified fashion in an effort to have the school completed. I support the strong views of those people and ask the Minister of State to ensure Pallaskenry is included in next year's allocation of moneys.

A sum of £20,000 was spent on prefabricated buildings in October 1997. At the time the Minister's officials in Tullamore gave me a guarantee that if this was accepted as an interim move by the board of management and the parents, it would not interfere in any way with the construction of new classrooms, which were and are still required. I plead with the Minister of State to respond to the real need of the pupils of Pallaskenry national school. I have witnessed the conditions and I am not being political on this issue. I am aware of the Minister of State's concern and I ask him to remember the school when money is being allocated next year.

Mr. O'Dea

Pallaskenry national school has a staffing level of principal, five mainstream classroom teachers and shared learning support and resource teachers. The enrolment at 30 September 2001 was 159 pupils. The school's present accommodation consists of four permanent classrooms in the main school building, a general purpose room, which is being used as a classroom, a staffroom, three temporary rooms and other limited ancillary accommodation.

In July 2000, the Iong-term accommodation needs of this school were assessed and the Department approved the commencement of architectural planning for two additional permanent classrooms and appropriate ancillary accommodation. The initial drawings for a building project at the school were submitted to our Department by the school's design team and these were examined and approved last July.

The Department wrote to the school authorities on 9 July 2001 authorising its design team to proceed to the next stage of the architectural planning process. The Department is still awaiting the submission of documentation pertaining to the next stage of the planning process and when all relevant documentation has been received and considered the Department will communicate again with the board of management.

The Deputy will appreciate there has been a massive and unprecedented increase in the funds allocated by the Government to the building programme at all levels. The allocation in the current year is £370.5 million, 470.44 million. This level of funding has enabled the Department to undertake a record number of building projects and it is my intention to continue this rate of progress in overcoming the deficit arising from many years of neglect. The Deputy will further appreciate that, due to the volume of applications received for capital grants, not all deserving projects can be funded simultaneously. However, decisions relating to the rate of progress to construction of individual projects, including the proposed project at Pallaskenry national school, will be taken as in previous years in the light of allocations made for school building purposes and when all budget decisions have been taken by the Government.

Mr. Higgins

(Dublin West): Is mór liom gur roghnaíodh an cheist seo don díospóireacht tráthnóna.

I speak on behalf of the children in Huntstown, west Dublin. Their local primary school and its dedicated staff have provided a tremendous service over many years and have adopted a proactive and enlightened approach. The principal, the parents' committee and the staff have provided a great education for thousands of local students who have attended the school. They have also provided badly needed services for children from the Traveller community and, in recent years, the school has extended itself to cope with the new reality in society, which is the arrival of immigrants and children from many different cultural backgrounds.

The school caters for children of 16 different nationalities. Naturally, this provides a huge challenge in terms of the special needs that must be addressed educationally, linguistically and culturally. The school also caters for children with special needs. A total of 455 children are being taught in prefabricated buildings, some of which are 12 years old and deteriorating, while 19 teachers work in very cramped conditions. Three of the resource teachers who cater for children with special needs work in conditions that are totally inadequate. In one case a teacher works in a classroom with no natural light whatsoever.

The staffroom was built to accommodate 16 teachers but there are now 39 in the school and staff meetings cannot be held in it. The 14 permanent classrooms also need refurbishment and there are serious problems in regard to the playground. The school has applied to undertake a significant new development comprising 16 new classrooms, a staffroom, a library, a physical education hall and resource rooms for children with special needs.

Planning and work on this project commenced almost two years ago. The school has received planning permission and all tender documents, costings, etc., have been submitted to the Department for approval. Work costing almost £350,000 has been done on the project. Given the urgent needs of the school it is important that the project should be approved and allowed to proceed. The school is a crucial resource in a densely populated suburb of west Dublin, whose population is growing. The Minister has enough information to make a decision on the project, which is urgently needed. I urge him to inform the House of the date on which the project will commence.

Mr. O'Dea

The school, as the Deputy outlined, has a staffing level of principal, 31 mainstream classroom teachers, two learning support teachers, one resource teacher and three other additional teachers. The enrolment at 30 September was 869 pupils. The school's present facilities consist of 16 permanent classrooms, 14 temporary classrooms, a general purpose room and other limited ancillary accommodation. My Department approved the commencement of architectural planning for 16 permanent classrooms, refurbishment of the existing school and the provision of appropriate ancillary accommodation. Architectural planning for the project is at an advanced stage.

Decisions relating to the rate of progress to construction of individual projects, including Huntstown national school, will be taken as in previous years in the light of the allocations made for school building purposes and when all budget decisions have been taken by the Government. My Department is fully committed to the provision of improved accommodation at Huntstown national school and I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline the current position to the House.