Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Nov 2004

Vol. 593 No. 3

Adjournment Debate.

Ukrainian Presidential Elections.

Mr. Coveney

I thank the Ceann Comhairle, for allowing me to raise this issue, which is of immense importance internationally for Europe, Ireland and, in particular, for the region of which Ukraine is part. I want to use this opportunity to establish the Government's response to what is a deepening crisis within one of the EU's largest neighbours, Ukraine, following the second round of voting in the presidential elections there.

It has become clear that the Ukrainian authorities did not conduct the presidential election according to democratic standards. They have discarded the right of the 48 million population of Ukraine to freely elect their President and seriously failed to honour fundamental commitments into which Ukraine entered within the framework of the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The OSCE-led international election observation mission, including MEPs, to some of whom I have spoken and who have reported to the European Parliament, concluded that the Ukrainian authorities failed to take remedial action after the first round of voteing to redress biased coverage in state media, misuse of state resources and pressure on certain categories of voters to support the Moscow-backed candidate, Mr. Yanukovich.

Overall, the second round of voting appears to have been conducted in an even worse manner than the first. A pattern of intimidation of observers, polling commission members and individual voters is reported. Voter turnout, approaching 100% in certain regions, extensive use of absentee voting certificates and of mobile ballot boxes are also highly suspect. All balanced observers strongly maintain that if free and fair elections had taken place, the reformist candidate, Mr. Yushchenko, would have been the winner. This is also confirmed by exit polls taken during the first and second round of votes.

Some 200,000 supporters of Mr. Yushchenko are now on the streets of Kiev, in the freezing cold, and the country is poised in crisis, peacefully so far, thank God. This afternoon, the Ukrainian Supreme Court banned the publication of election results which officials say hand victory to Mr. Yanukovich. The EU as a promoter of human rights and democracy cannot stand idly by and indeed is not standing by. I am glad to say that Mr. Solana is using all diplomatic means available to him to find a peaceful resolution with which to move forward in the Ukraine.

An official Irish Government position should be unambiguous and clear and should state that we do not recognise or accept the result of the elections until all concerns about electoral fraud are addressed and we have either an acceptable recount or else a re-election.

Has the Minister of State met the Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland, and if so, what discussions have taken place with him?

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (Mr. C. Lenihan)

I formally congratulate Deputy Coveney on his election to the European Parliament and I commend him on the work he is doing for human rights.

I welcome the opportunity to respond to this matter on the Adjournment. I do not wish to be facetious but the first and only time I met the Ukrainian ambassador was in the Dáil Chamber this evening on my way to deliver this report. That would not amount to very much in terms of a discussion about the issue before us.

I accept the basic analysis put forward by Deputy Coveney, in particular the reservations about the number of votes cast in certain areas which were greater than the number of voters there. That is clearly an unacceptable practice over which no one could stand, least of all the Irish Government or the EU. I also accept the criticisms advanced by Deputy Coveney with regard to the biased coverage in the state media networks in the Ukraine. That is an issue of great concern to us. While no one can predict what the result of the election might have been if some of these practices had not occurred, I fully acknowledge what the Deputy said with regard to the finely balanced nature of the result. The result was so close that the issue raised is brought into sharp relief.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs has asked me to make a statement on his behalf on our position and that of the European Union on the situation in the Ukraine. It is the sincere hope of the Minister and the Government that the current political impasse in the Ukraine will be resolved without violence in a manner acceptable to its people and which reflects democratic values. Earlier today, the Minister urged the Ukrainian authorities and opposition leaders to seek a political solution which meets these conditions. On the Minister's behalf, I repeat this call before the House this evening.

President Kuchma has assured the international community that force will not be used against peaceful demonstrators. We expect this pledge to be respected. Ireland and our European Union partners have viewed the presidential elections in the Ukraine as a litmus test of the democratic values we want the Ukraine to share with us. The Ukraine is a European country and we judge it by European standards. We would be immensely disappointed if this signal opportunity for the Ukraine to demonstrate its democratic credentials were to be lost.

As the Minister for Foreign Affairs said earlier today, Ireland with the European Union Presidency, does not believe that the official results announced by the central election commission yesterday evening reflect the will of the Ukrainian people. The OSCE monitoring mission to the Ukraine found that the two rounds of elections failed to meet international standards. We fully subscribe to these findings. Ireland sent three short-term observers to the first round of elections and four short-term observers to the second round.

Preliminary findings from the OSCE mission to the second round of elections on Sunday clearly pointed to serious deficiencies in the election campaign, principally unbalanced coverage by the state media and the misuse of state resources. With regard to the conduct of the voting, the mission found there were serious problems with voter lists, absentee ballots, the conduct of the count and a lack of legal redress for complaints.

I reiterate the call of the EU Presidency for the Ukrainian authorities to engage immediately with the OSCE monitoring mission in reviewing the electoral processes and results. I am referring here to the central election commission and the courts. The review must be conducted in full accordance with Ukrainian law. I understand that the Bulgarian chair of the OSCE has been in contact with the Ukrainian authorities to call for this review as a matter of urgency.

We regret that the central election commission took the step yesterday of announcing the results of the second round of elections without first addressing the serious concerns identified by the OSCE monitoring mission and other reputable international observers. It now falls to the President and Parliament of the Ukraine to resolve this issue by exploring all legal and political options. Given the scale of the irregularities identified, a simple recount of the vote would not serve any purpose. Our position on that matter is very strong.

The European Union has been very exercised and concerned by the situation that has evolved over the past three days. A special representative of the Presidency of the Council, former Ambassador Niek Biegman, is in Kiev to present the views of the European Union and assist with the mediation process where possible. High Representative Javier Solana has been in close touch with US Secretary of State Colin Powell and with President Kwasniewski of Poland, whose country currently holds the presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The President of Poland has dispatched a team of experts to Kiev to assist with the negotiation process. The High Representative is also in touch with the Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Solomon Passy, who occupies the position of chairman in office of the OSCE.

In addition, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mr. Jan Peter Balkenende, as President of the European Union, has had direct contact with President Kuchma and with the chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament on Tuesday. The Prime Minister expressed the serious concern of the European Union at the conduct of the election and emphasised the need for a peaceful resolution to the current situation. The Prime Minister also called on President Kuchma to show restraint and address the current protests in an orderly and non-violent way.

I provide these details to the House in order to underline the intensity of efforts on the part of the European Union to promote a peaceful outcome to the current impasse. As in the case of our European Union partners, the concerns of the Minister of Foreign Affairs regarding these elections were conveyed directly to the Ukrainian Ambassador to Ireland, His Excellency Yevhen Perelygin, yesterday when he was called to the Department of Foreign Affairs. As Deputy Coveney knows, that is a formal process which we undertake in diplomatic terms to underline our serious concerns. It does not happen every day and was done with a specific purpose.

Crime Prevention.

Mr. McGinley

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for affording me this opportunity to raise in the House a disturbing incident. I am sure the country is aware of the vicious attack on an elderly man in my constituency, namely William Bartley, a 74-year-old pensioner living on his own outside Donegal town. A week before the attack he came out of hospital after a serious operation, was at home recuperating, and was doing very well. In the middle of the night he was attacked in his own home and beaten beyond recognition. I am sure the Minister saw the photographs in yesterday's national press. The photograph is in the Donegal press this evening. I have a copy of it with me but I am aware I may not show it in the House. I am not allowed to show the newspaper to the House and I always abide by the rulings of the Chair.

It has scandalised the people of Donegal that an attack such as this should be perpetrated on an innocent man, one of the nicest neighbours one could have. He is a hard working farmer, an excellent neighbour and a highly respected member of his community. William Bartley is in Letterkenny Hospital this evening. Less than an hour ago, I was in touch with the hospital and I am glad to report that, according to the ward sister, he is comfortable. However, he will be in hospital for another while during his recuperation.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident; it is one of a series of such incidents which have taken place in Donegal in recent months. At the beginning of September, a neighbour of Mr. Bartley, John Logue, was similarly attacked in his house during the hours of darkness. He was found by kind neighbours the following morning seriously injured on the floor of his house. The only difference between John Logue and William Bartley is that John Logue is 92 years of age. He was in Letterkenny Hospital for a number of weeks and was subsequently moved to Donegal Hospital where I visited him on a number of occasions. I am glad to say that in spite of the vicious attack he sustained, he is at home recuperating and doing very well.

It is no wonder people in Donegal are scandalised by these happenings and that elderly people living in isolated areas, and in many cases not so isolated areas, are afraid to go to sleep in their beds at night. I have been reliably told that some of them are staying up all night and are only going to bed during the day when they feel safer. What kind of society are we creating that people, who have contributed so much to this country through their hard labour — hard working people, small farmers who have lived in the area for many years — cannot rest safely in their own homes in their declining years? It says much for the society we are creating.

As a country, our priority should be to make these people feel safe in their houses. We should be there for them and should protect them. What is happening to these people could happen to us in years to come. I am not blaming the Garda Síochána. I did not come into the House to attach blame to anyone. The only people to whom I attach blame are the vicious criminals who perpetrated these acts. I agree with the headline in the Donegal People’s Press this week that only animals would do this, although animals would not to this to their own. These matters must be taken seriously.

The Garda are doing their level best. I do not expect them to be there 24 hours per day, seven days per week and 365 days per year. They must work and rest like the rest of us. However, they should at least be given any resources required to hunt down these inhumane criminals, bring them to justice and put them where they should be and where they are not a danger to elderly people, including septuagenarians and nonagenarians in my constituency.

Both gentlemen, William Bartley and John Logue, are known to me, as I am sure they are known to the Minister's colleagues, and they wrote to me regularly. I am very annoyed that this should happen to these good citizens who have given so much in the service of this country and who do not feel safe in their houses anymore. It is a very serious issue. The Garda are doing their best but they must be given the resources. I appeal to their neighbours, and to the neighbours of all such people, to be constantly on the look out, to look after them and to ensure such attacks do not recur. If that is happens, a good day's work will have been done. The people of Donegal expect some action and want to see these people apprehended as soon as possible.

Minister for Education and Science (Ms Hanafin)

I thank Deputy McGinley for raising a very serious issue. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law shares the concern, as would the public, about attacks on elderly members of our population. I saw the photograph in the newspaper of the poor man who was attacked. It was quite appalling, a barbaric attack on an elderly man. I, too, wish him a speedy recovery and hope he will have the courage to return to his normal life with the support of his neighbours and community.

Deputy McGinley put the case in a very responsible way and recognised the importance of community and of the Garda. Successful programmes include the neighbourhood watch and the community alert schemes. They are very tangible and practical ways of dealing with crime prevention at community level. They work well because they have the support and involvement of people who care for their local community, who are willing to give their time and make the effort. Neighbourhood watch has gone from strength to strength since 1985. Civic-minded people are working in co-operation with the Garda and are looking after neighbours in their community. That, too, has helped to foster positive relations between the Garda and the community.

As Deputy McGinley said, we need to expand that type of involvement to areas not covered. The community alert programme has been in place since 1985. Approximately 1,110 local groups are involved in it and are trying to improve the quality of life for people in rural areas. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform contributes annually to funding that programme.

The Deputy spoke about one particularly sad case, and I know it will be of no comfort to him for me to talk about the numbers of assaults, but it is important to put on record that 1,100 fewer people were the victims of serious assault — a reduction of 22% — and over 2,300 fewer people were the victims of minor assaults — reduction of 14% — in 2003 compared with 2002. It would appear from the provisional statistics for the first nine months of 2004 that there is a further reduction of 7%. It is important to put things in perspective while appreciating that it is of no comfort to an individual like this poor man who was so brutally attacked.

As Deputy McGinley said, crime prevention is not only a matter for the Garda but is one which is of importance to the entire community. The development of a comprehensive strategy to prevent and reduce crime is imperative and requires community involvement. The Deputy will be aware that the national crime council recommended the establishment of a national crime prevention model and recommended that it commence with a pilot in three city and county development boards. The Garda Síochána Bill provides for the establishment of joint policing committees by local authorities and the Garda Commissioner and for the issuing of guidelines by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform with the consent of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. These guidelines concern the establishment and maintenance of the committees and may also include provision for the establishment of the committees within the framework of city and county development boards and for their funding. There is great scope for those committees to serve as a forum for consultations, discussions and recommendations.

The Garda Síochána Bill takes up a number of the recommendations made by the crime council. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform believes that implementation of the crime council's recommendations, including the commencement of pilots, should take place in the context of implementation of the Garda Síochána Bill.

Deputy McGinley rightly paid tribute to the Garda who do such work throughout the country. The Garda place great store on fostering community spirit and work hand in hand with communities. There is the youth diversion project in the Donegal division and the Leaf project situated in Raphoe. The Garda use diversion projects and work in consultation with local communities and youth service providers. The multi-agency approach can be very successful. The personnel strength in the Donegal division is 416, all ranks, as at 24 November. That will be kept under review as needs develop and in the context of the overall needs of Garda divisions throughout the country. I am not sure if the Deputy saw the advertisement campaign in today's newspapers for recruitment of the extra gardaí.

Mr. McGinley

I am glad to see it.

Ms Hanafin

This is something we all welcome. The strength of the Garda Síochána will be increased from a record level of 12,200 to 14,400. Starting with today's recruitment campaign, there will be an intake of 1,100 recruits in each of the next three years.

Garda Deployment.

Ms Burton

I was shocked at the disclosure by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in his answer to a parliamentary question of mine on 8 November 2004 that the number of community gardaí in west Dublin has fallen to 17, as compared to 19 at 27 November 2003. In 1997, there were 18 community gardaí serving the west Dublin area. In the intervening eight years, the population has grown dramatically and is now in excess of 70,000. The failure of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to supply community gardaí to urban areas, particularly areas under siege from gangs with guns and drugs, is a shameful indictment of the Government's policy on policing. The Minister for Education and Science has told the house that 440 gardaí are deployed in the County Donegal division. Only 140 gardaí are assigned to the west Dublin area with a population of more than 70,000, including the 17 community gardaí to whom I referred.

Ms Hanafin

Some 640 gardaí are assigned to that area.

Ms Burton

Much was made in the 2002 general election of a promise to recruit 2,000 extra gardaí. The figures for community policing indicate the reality of falling Garda numbers to serve local communities. The outlook for 2005 is little better with only a 5% increase provided for in the Estimates. When pay rises under the benchmarking process are taken into account, the country as a whole will probably see fewer than 100 extra gardaí serving next year.

Dublin 15 is one of the most prosperous areas of the country, home to Farmleigh House, with which the Government is familiar, IBM and the incredibly successful Blanchardstown town centre. Last weekend, this area was again in the news for all the wrong reasons. Assassins gunned down a young man as his infant child and partner lay sleeping. We have reached a state of callousness when we can accept gang warfare and the loss of human life on a scale that would make Al Capone blush.

Wherever urban crime and disorder have been defeated and reduced in other parts of the world, in cities such as New York and Baltimore, and in rural areas, a key element in such success has been community and neighbourhood policing. Targeted intervention, such as the special operations by gardaí against gangs, is welcome but is not enough. We can take lessons from the Patten report for Northern Ireland and its recommendation on sustained community policing. In the Republic, the application of the Patten principles would see gardaí assigned to neighbourhoods for at least two to three years to allow the proper development of a good relationship with local residents. A continued Garda presence in certain areas can also act as a deterrent to crime and can ensure that known criminals do not subject residents to a rule of fear, as is happening in west Dublin.

Time and again in west Dublin, the Minister for Justice, Equality, and Law Reform announces community and other Garda resources in response to crime waves and the commitment seems to vanish within a month or two. Despite the best efforts of residents and community organisations there are unfortunately areas in west Dublin that have become virtual no-go areas late at night, with parents terrified for the safety of their children. In a major survey of local authority estates that has just been published, 60% to 70% of residents said that crime and lack of policing are a significant concern.

This month alone, I have had to speak to many distressed parents whose sons have been randomly assaulted at local shopping centres, usually by youths in hoodies. Who rules the streets — the "hoodies" or the law-abiding citizens? For all the Minister's bluster, we will not win the war against young criminals until he acknowledges that his strategy has failed. The zero-tolerance approach of his predecessor was, in the end, all spin. Communities deserve a worked-out policy, adequate policing numbers and to be able to see gardaí on the beat.

I took part in a debate on Monday night with the local superintendent, for whom I have much respect. He was able to boast that in a community of more than 70,000 and nearly 30,000 homes, he had two gardaí out on horseback, two on bicycles and six or seven in Garda cars. This equates to approximately ten gardaí on active duty for a community of 70,000. The system is not working and it is law-abiding citizens who suffer.

Ms Hanafin

I thank Deputy Burton for raising this matter to which I respond on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. It is against the background of recent serious shooting incidents that the Deputy has raised this matter. When such incidents occur, there can be a tendency in the media to use the terms "organised crime" and "gangland killings" to describe their nature. The Deputy will appreciate that I do not wish to say anything that would jeopardise the proper investigation of any incident by ascribing a particular motive to it.

Whether these terms are appropriate or not, I assure the House that the Garda Síochána subjects all murders and violent crimes to detailed and thorough investigation. Ireland has a very low murder rate compared to other EU countries. There were eight fewer murders in 2003 compared to 2002 and there have been seven fewer murders for the first nine months of this year compared to the same period in 2003. However, I will not understate the difficulties faced by the Garda Síochána in successfully investigating such crimes. Organised crime, by its nature, creates a climate of fear, not only for the general public but for some of the criminals. There are potentially huge profits involved in organised crime, particularly the drugs trade. To these criminals, money is power and many are prepared to take whatever action is necessary to protect their position, including violence and murder in some cases.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has met a number of times with the Garda Commissioner and other senior Garda personnel to discuss serious crime and is satisfied the necessary resources, both operational and financial, are being directed towards the containment and detection of such crime. Local Garda management is satisfied the resources available to them in west Dublin are adequate to meet the policing needs of the area. The personnel strength of the Dublin metropolitan region west division as at 25 November 2004 was 641, all ranks. The equivalent strength as at 1 January 1999 was 542. This represents an increase of 99, or 18.27%, since 1 January 1999.

There is a total of 76 community policing personnel in the Dublin metropolitan region west division, comprising three inspectors, seven sergeant and 66 gardaí. An additional 22 probationer gardaí are due to be allocated to the division on 26 November 2004. The needs of the division are kept under constant review by the Garda authorities and, as additional personnel become available, those needs will be considered in the context of Garda resources nationally.

The establishment of specialist Garda units, such as the national bureau of criminal investigation, the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Garda bureau of fraud investigation and the Garda national drug unit, operating under an assistant commissioner in charge of national support services, has enabled the Garda Síochána to tackle serious crime effectively. These specialist units work closely with gardaí operating at district and divisional level.

On 12 October, the Government approved the proposal of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law reform to increase the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 members on a phased basis, in line with the agreed programme for Government commitment in this regard. This is a key commitment in the programme for Government and its implementation will significantly strengthen the operational capacity of the force. Today, the Garda Commissioner launched the advertisement campaign for the recruitment of the additional gardaí. There will be an intake of 1,100 recruits in each of the next three years. Tomorrow, an additional 190 gardaí will be attested to the force. This will bring the strength of the Garda, already at a record high, to more than 12,200.

The Opposition and some commentators have said it is not remotely possible, during the remaining lifetime of this Government, to recruit in sufficient numbers to increase the strength of the force to 14,000. They are wrong. As I stated, the recruitment campaign has already started. Each quarter for the next three years, around 274 recruits will be taken into the Garda College, amounting to almost 1,100 recruits each year. Taking into account projected retirements, this will lead to a combined organisational strength, of both attested gardaí and recruits in training, of 14,000 as early as 2006.

This record recruitment drive will place at the disposal of the Garda Commissioner a significant increase in Garda resources. The commissioner will draw up plans on how best to distribute and manage these resources. Clearly, however, the additional resources will be targeted at the areas of greatest need, as is envisaged in the programme for Government. The programme identifies, in particular, areas with a significant drugs problem and a large number of public order offences. The House can be assured that the additional gardaí will not be put on administrative duties. They will be put directly into front line, operational, high visibility policing. They will have a real impact.

The Garda Síochána was provided with a budget of €1.08 billion in 2004 and this has been increased to more than €1.1 billion for 2005. The Minister recently provided the Garda Commissioner with an additional €4 million to be used for high visibility policing between now and the end of the year. This has provided the force with an additional 140,000 hours of overtime and is contributing to the current intensified Garda operation in west Dublin.

With regard to legislative matters, our legislative package for tackling organised crime is one of the toughest in Europe. There is a broad range of strong legislation available to the gardaí to enable serious and organised crime to be confronted effectively. The Criminal Assets Bureau Act and the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996, which have been successfully used to deprive those engaged in criminal activity of their assets, continue to be the most significant legislative tools. This legislation has been copied throughout Europe.

The Criminal Justice Bill 2004 provides a comprehensive package of anti-crime measures which will enhance the powers of the gardaí in the investigation and prosecution of offences and will generally provide for improvements to the operation of the criminal justice system. It will also provide for the creation of minimum mandatory sentences for certain firearms provisions.

I assure the Deputy that the Minister's commitment to tackling serious crime is unwavering and he is constantly evaluating our response to this problem. He will take whatever measures are necessary to deal with it.

School Car Parking Facilities.

Ms Hoctor

A Cheann Comhairle, go raibh maith agat as ucht an tseans a thabhairt dom labhairt os comhair an Tí um thráthnóna ar an gceist thábhachtach seo. I am grateful to the Minister, Deputy Hanafin, for being present to reply to this matter and to the Chair for the opportunity to air this important matter that relates to schools not only in north Tipperary but elsewhere.

With the increasing population in rural areas, including villages, parents bring children to school by car which has led to increased congestion outside rural primary schools. Such congestion endangers the lives of children and parents and tensions are high in the early morning and in the afternoon when parents collect their children. The question at issue is who is responsible for the set down and car parking facilities outside primary schools.

I draw to the attention of the House Lissenhall national school, which the Minister is aware is awaiting the provision of an additional classroom for next year because of the growing population in this rural area that lies four miles outside Nenagh town. There are 51 pupils in the school and 13 additional pupils are expected next September as well as an additional teacher.

The school is located on the Nenagh to Newport road, which is a busy and extremely narrow road. With no bus service to the school, 60 pupils are delivered to the school each morning. This means that 50 cars are parked outside the school. There are no parking facilities, as such, outside the school despite my efforts and the many efforts of county councillors representing the area to put money in place towards the provision of car parking facilities. At one stage north Tipperary County Council had put aside IR£6,000 to provide car parking facilities outside the school, but it withdrew that funding because it claimed the provision of such facilities is the responsibility of the Department of Education and Science.

A landowner in the area of Lissenhall, a very generous man, is prepared to supply the land in question to provide car parking facilities for the school for which he is not seeking payment, and he is prepared to do that immediately. However, the county council will not take responsibility for this provision. Its officials have said such provision is the responsibility of the Department of Education and Science.

I draw to the attention of the House Toomevara national school, Scoil Sheosaimh Náisiúnta, a green flag school which the Minister is due to visit in the coming week. The footpath outside the school is in poor repair. When I was a county councillor I tried to secure money, under tertiary funds available through north Tipperary County Council, to repair the footpath to serve the needs of pedestrians accessing the school. However, the engineer of the roads section of the council advised me that such funding could not be allocated for such work because the repair of this footpath is the responsibility of the Department of Education and Science. I find that difficult to understand and, given that I am confused, I do not know how parents, teachers and pupils accessing that school can accept that response.

I hope the Minister will clarify the position. An issue for all schools is who is responsible for the provision of car parking to ensure safety on roads outside schools. I imagine that is the responsibility of the local authority, but it claims it is not. As a local representative for the area and on behalf of the parents and teachers in these schools, it is my duty to raise this matter in the House to have it clarified. It is a question of who, ultimately, is responsible for this matter.

Tá mé an bhuíoch don Aire gur fhan sí sa Teach um thráthnóna chun éisteacht liom agus cuirim fáilte roimh a freagra. This is an issue for all schools. Will such provision be made under the summer works scheme? If so, will it be considered as a matter of priority or will it be lower down the list?

Ms Hanafin

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter because it is an issue that has been raised in respect of a number of schools. This reply gives me an opportunity to set out the policy of the Department of Education and Science on the provision of set-down and car parking facilities outside national schools.

The Department's Planning Guidelines for Primary Schools recommend that when a new school of one to seven classrooms, inclusive, is being designed and built, one car parking space per teacher and two additional spaces should be provided. This parking allocation includes at least one space for persons with disability or mobility impairment. Designers should, wherever possible and with due regard for health and safety, consider hard play area as a potential overflow park for use in exceptional circumstances. Bus and car set-down and pick-up areas should be designed so that the relevant area may be ceded to the local authority upon completion. Pedestrian access should be kept separate from traffic movements in the interests of safety. In existing schools some compromise has to be made in regard to the provision of these facilities depending on the site size, location of the school building on the site, proximity to the road etc., bearing in mind that some schools were built well over 100 years ago when there were no cars.

Deputy Hoctor asked a specific question about who is responsible for this matter. It is the responsiblity of individual boards of management of primary schools to ensure that adequate and safe set-down and parking facilities are provided. I hope that in individual cases the people concerned will be able to work with the local authority, particularly given that we are talking about public roads etc. Many schools reach agreement with local authorities in this regard.

The Deputy also asked about schemes that might fund such programmes under the Department of Education and Science. There are a number of funds under which school building works can be addressed. Under the grant scheme for minor works to national school properties, which came into operation in January 1997, all national schools receive funding annually. Items such as the replacement of windows, roof repairs, resurfacing of school yard, upgrading or provision of car parking facilities and set-down areas, which we are discussing, and repainting and redecorating qualify as improvements to school buildings and grounds and come within the scope of the minor works covered by this grant.

In addition, the summer works scheme, about which the Deputy inquired, provides capital grants for necessary small-scale works that can be planned and delivered during the summer months. Applications are considered under the terms and conditions of the scheme. The closing date for receipt of applications for the 2005 summer works scheme was 5 November 2004. All applications received under the scheme are being considered in the school planning section of my Department and we hope to publish the successful list in early 2005.

The management authority of one of the schools in question, Scoil Naomh Sheosamh, has submitted an application under the 2005 summer works scheme for a set-down area and a new vehicular entrance to the school. The application will be considered in light of available funding and competing priorities and needs of the school. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and I hope I have brought some clarity to the issue.

The Dáil adjourned at 6.30 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Friday, 26 November 2004.