Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 19 Mar 1986

Vol. 111 No. 15

Adjournment Matter. - Kerry Schools.

Mr. Deenihan

I Meán Fómhair, 1978, a tháinig Scoil Mhic Easmainn, Trá Li, ar an saol. Múinteoir amháin agus páiste is fiche a bhí i láthair an chéad lá. Dhá chéad páiste agus seachtar múinteoir atá sa scoil anois. Cruthúnas é seo go bhfuil éileamh ar scolaíocht lán-Ghaeilge ar an mbaile.

In ainneoin na ndeacrachtaí ar fad a bhí ag an scoil i gcaitheamh na mblianta seo, lean sé air ag fás. Tá na páistí a tháinig an chéad lá imithe as an scoil, ach ní féidir le scoil ar bith maireachtáil go deo gan foirgneamh buan oiriúnach. Tá sé in am an conradh tógála a shíniú leis an tógálaí atá roghnaithe. Tá na tairiscintí tógála faoi bhráid Bhord na nOibreacha Poiblí agus an Roinn Oideachais le ceithre mhí anuas. Tá géarghá ag an scoil le foirgneamh buan, mar níl spás ar fáil le haghaidh naíonán na bliana seo chugainn.

Ba bheag nár scoradh an scoil an samhradh seo caite toisc gur díoladh foirgneamh a bhí in úsáid acu. Ní cóir go bhfágfaí seirbhís chomh riachtanach agus chomh bunúsach i mbaol.

Fiú má théann an tógálaí isteach ar an suíomh láithreach, beidh ar páistí agus ar múinteoirí na scoile geimhreadh eile fós a chaitheamh i gcóiríocht faoi chaighdeán. Ní ceart go n-iarrfaí ar aon pháistí ná múinteoirí a leithéid a dhéanamh toisc a ndílseacht don Ghaeilge. Is cóir an dílseacht seo a chúiteamh leo gan mhoill agus an conraitheóir tógála a scaoileadh chun oibre. Níl ceist anois ach an conradh a shíniú leis an tógálaí roghnaithe.

Beidh sé seo ar an gcéad scoil náisiúnta lán Ghaeilge i nGaeltacht na Mumhan a thógfar faoin gcóras nua bainistíochta.

I should like to refer to Coolard National School. Coolard National School, Listowel, County Kerry, was built in 1886. It comprised three classrooms, a storeroom and an outside toilet. It remained as it was built until 1982 without any extensive renovations or repairs over the previous 94 years. In 1982 Tullamore National School was closed and amalgamated with Coolard National School. The existing store room was converted into a classroom to facilitate the extra numbers. The Department of Education sanctioned a grant of over £2,000 towards this extension. This was the only form of aid that this school got in its history. There are 95 pupils currently on the school roll with a staff of four teachers. The classrooms are very congested and rat-infested. The teachers are forced to lay poison for the rats with the result that there are decaying remains under the floor boards producing a hideous smell and this, no doubt, is a health hazard. I should like the Minister to take note of this.

In 1958 the building was condemned by the Department of Health. As a result of this, the Department of Education were reluctant to sanction any repairs or extensions since. As a result of local commitment and a willingness among the local people to hold their school, the school was maintained and kept in some form of repair by funds collected from the local community. The reason why an extension has been sanctioned is because of the reluctance of the people to surrender their school and move into a bigger school.

The proposed extension comprises three classrooms, a general purpose room, and ancillary facilities including a teachers' room and indoor toilet facilities. The Minister for Education visited this school in 1984 and made a commitment to the principal and staff that she would honour their centenary year 1986 with the sanction of the extension. They have lived and hoped since that that commitment will be honoured this year. The school has produced very fine scholars over 100 years and has been of tremendous service to the local community.

I should like if the Minister could give me a commitment that this extension will be advertised for tender in the near future.

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Mr. Kenny)

Ar dtús labharfaidh mé faoi Scoil Mhic Easmainn faoin a labhair an Seanadóir Deenihan. Séard atá ann faoi láthair ná seachtar múinteoir agus an príomhoide i mBaile Úna. Bhíodar in áiteanna thart faoi cheantair Bhaile Trá Lí le cúpla bliain anuas. Tugann an Roinn Oideachais tacaíocht dóibh chun an cíos a íoc faoi láthair. Osclaíodh an scoil i 1978 agus ag an am sin ní raibh ach 23 daltaí ach ón am sin anuas go dtí an lá atá inniu ann agus ag an gceathrú is deireanaí atá ann bhí 197 daltaí sa scoil. I 1970 tógadh suíomh ar cheithre acra in áit ar a dtugtar Shanakill in iar-thuaisceart an bhaile mhóir. Tá cúrsaí pleanála ar siúl faoi láthair.

Since the site was chosen in 1970 the Office of Public Works — that section which has since been subsumed into the Department of Education — has been engaged on the architectural planning of a new permanent school building. The Office of Public Works were authorised last September to invite tenders for the project. The examination of the tenders has now been completed and the question of placing a contract is under consideration. The outcome will be conveyed to the school authorities as soon as possible.

As in the case of the Coolard project to which I will refer to in a moment, the Scoil Mhic Easmainn project is one of a large number awaiting forward movement at the present time, and in the case of Scoil Mhic Easmainn specifically the placing of a contract will be dealt with in that general context. I am particularly aware of the needs of this school. Apart from the very valuable contribution which it makes towards the reinstating of the national language in our schools, and, indeed, its importance generally in our lives, I understand it has occupied a variety of temporary premises over the last seven and a half years. This is naturally not conducive to business being conducted in an orderly fashion or to the education process being followed through in a proper and fitting manner, both for the parents, teachers and pupils. I hope to be in a position in the near future to make a positive announcement regarding the prospects of placing this contract for permanent accommodation for Scoil Mhic Easmainn. I hope to make that announcement in the near future.

With regard to Coolard national school, the position is that the present primary school building at Coolard has three classrooms. The staffing of the school consists of a principal teacher and three assistant teachers. The average enrolment at the school for the quarter ended 31 December 1985 was just marginally in excess of 95 pupils. The school building is just over 100 years old, having been built in 1886. This is indicative of the number of schools that now require replacing and it therefore indicates pressure on the Department in dealing with the various stages that must be dealt with before new buildings can actually be provided. Coolard was one of four schools proposed in the seventies for relocation in a central building, but that particular proposal came to nothing as the local people were not in favour of participating in a central school building.

In 1982 the Coolard school absorbed the nearby Tullamore national school. Under the usual amalgamation arrangements, the Coolard school retains four teachers, although the average enrolments warrant only three teachers in the long term. So there is some small benefit to the existing pupil-teacher ratio, though the condition of the building itself is not suitable.

The origins of the present proposals for the extension of the Coolard school can be traced back to a deputation in 1983 which visited my Department and which sought financial aid for the improvement of conditions at the school. The options under discussion at that time were either the provision of a new school building to replace the existing one, or a major remodelling of the existing building and its extension. The latter approach was eventually agreed between the schools authorities and my Department, resulting in the employment by the school of an architect to submit specific proposals and costings. The brief was that the existing building should be remodelled and extended so as to provide overall three classrooms and a general purposes area, together with the usual and necessary ancillary accommodation. That planning process has now reached the stage where an acceptable set of plans has been produced. Agreement has been reached on the matter of a local contribution and the title to the site has been declared as being satisfactory.

My Department, therefore, at present has under consideration the question of authorising the invitation of tenders for the Coolard project. I want to explain that this project is one of a large number, the release of which to tender must be ordered in such a fashion that the capital funds provided to my Department in any particular financial year for national school building will be adequate to sustain regular grant payments as soon as construction work has begun. Obviously, work that has already commenced has priority in funding and, accordingly, projects at the tender invitation stage take their place in the order of priorities and in accordance with the capital likely to be made available when work is actually scheduled to start. The planning of tendering and the contract placement sequences has been taking place in this context and is now practically complete.

I am sympathetic to the plea for the release of the Coolard project to tender, as raised by Senator Deenihan. The poor condition of the existing facilities at Coolard has been more than adequately documented and has been accepted by the Department and I am certainly not unmoved by the desire of the local people associated with the project that they should be in a position to mark the school's centenary year by commencing their major scheme of remodelling and extension. I hope, therefore, to be in a position in the reasonably near future to convey to the school authorities a decision as to when they may proceed with the invitation of tenders.

The Seanad adjourned at 8.20 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 20 March 1986.