Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 15 Mar 1989

Vol. 122 No. 6

Adjournment Matter. - County Galway Vocational School.

Nioclás Ó Conchubhair

I should like to thank the Minister for having come to the House this evening to hear my representation on behalf of Gairmscoil Cholmcille, Knock, Inverin. The problem obtaining at that school arose before the present Minister assumed office.

As a member of Galway Vocational Education Committee and of the board of management of the school I should say we are most grateful to the Minister and her Minister of State for having visited the school during the summer when they saw for themselves the problems obtaining there.

This school was built in 1955 for a student population of 55. As the House may be aware, this school is located in the heart of the Gaeltacht laying halfway between Galway city and Carraroe. It is not only most important to the immediate area of Inverin. Students attending the school come from as far away as Rossaveel, some even come from Furbo and some from Spiddal even though there is a secondary school in Spiddal, but this is an excellent vocational school whose teachers are of the highest standard. Indeed the results achieved at the school in recent years could be described as more than outstanding.

When the school was built in 1955 it consisted of five permanent classrooms. Two prefabricated classrooms were added in 1966 and 1967, both of which are now in a very poor state of repair. Over £4,000 has been spent on both of these rooms in order to prop up the roof which was near to collapse about two years ago. Subsequently, because of overcrowding the school management had to rent office space across the road from Údarás na Gaeltachta.

As the House will be aware, there is a regional road linking Inverin with the fishing harbour at Rossaveel, and this runs between the school and the offices they are using at this time. This makes it very dangerous for the students crossing the road. The teachers tell me that they are always afraid of some fatal accident happening, but thank God, so far that has been avoided. In 1966 a pre-fabricated classroom was taken from the vocational school in Cornamona and rebuilt at Gairmscoil Cholmcille. This is now also in very poor condition.

Last year there were 214 students on the roll, and according to the numbers applying this year they expect to have 52 students by next September, which will bring the roll up to about 230. They started with 55 students, in 1981-82 they had 110 students, and now they have approximately 230 students. That is where the main problem lies.

The facilities in all the technical subject rooms are obsolete. Over half the science classes are taught in general subject classrooms. Physics and chemistry is taught in general subject classrooms, so there are no facilities for practical work. French is being taught in the metal room which is away, in fact, from the school, itself. General subjects are taught in the typing room which means that the 28 typewriters must be removed from the desktops at the beginning of the classes and restored at the end of each class. Another problem is that the sanitary and toilet facilities are totally inadequate. There are three toilets for use by approximately 100 girls. There are 24 coat hangers in the toilet room which also accommodates all the coats of these girls. There are three toilets and one urinal for over 100 boys and eight male teachers. There are also 24 coat hangers in the toilet which is the cloakroom for all the boys. The only sporting facilities available for 214 students is an undersized basketball court. There are no changing rooms or shower facilities.

That is a general outline of the problem. This has been a problem for long before Deputy O'Rourke became Minister. I have highlighted it because of the present circumstances. If we knew that the extension would go ahead, either this year or next year, it would at least give us an idea of what exactly is happening. The students and parents are concerned. The school results have been one of the best within the VEC. The standard of teaching is very high. It is an all Gaeltacht school in the middle of the Gaeltacht. We are grateful to Údarás Na Gaeltachta for facilitating us in the office space across the road from the school.

I am very grateful to the Minister for coming in to the House. She took it upon herself to visit the school.

Minister for Education (Mrs. O'Rourke)

Tá áthas orm bheith anseo anocht chun an ábhar seo, Scoil Naomh Colmcille, a phlé.

I am fully aware of the accommodation problems at the school, having visited there last year with my colleague Deputy Frank Fahey, and indeed you, Senator, were kind enough on that occasion to come to meet us. We had a very full visit to all of the classrooms and saw the conditions at the school. Had I the leeway within my capital programme for post primary buildings, I would wish to go ahead with this extension. The future requirements of the school have been carefully examined by my Department and agreement in principle has been reached on the type of accommodation that is needed. This includes a new extension with a total floor area of 625 square metres and the upgrading of the existing accommodation. The accommodation which will be available when the extension and renovation is completed will comprise two general classrooms, a library-classroom, group-remedial room, home economics room, science laboratory, metalwork room, woodwork room, store, physical education hall with changing facilities, and ancillary accommodation such as cloakrooms, toilets, boiler houses etc.

The present proposal is costed at £0.5 million. Of course, it would be a major improvement on the facilities offered. I appreciate, having listened to you tonight and having visited the school, that having regard to the accommodation available at present, the school authorities, teachers, parents and pupils would wish to have the project commence as soon as possible. However, the planning of each project involving the provision of new permanent accommodation is a detailed and complex process, but most of all there is the need for money. I could outline the six stages, but the project has reached the bills of quantity stage, which is the fifth of the six stages of planning. The bills of quantities have been submitted to the Department by the consultants and these are under consideration at present. However, it has not been possible to clear this stage of planning and to authorise the invitation of tenders due to the budgetary constraints currently affecting the Public Capital Programme. That is the bottom line. There are over 250 capital projects in the pipeline. I have visited most of them. Most classes are in complete prefab accommodation, without any proper classrooms at all.

First of all Inverin is a stand-alone school serving a catchment area and that type of school is what I want to prioritise for capital spending, if and when I get it. It also has a very high reputation. I know that from visiting the school and from what people tell me all the way between Spiddal and Inverin. They comment on the quality of teaching, the fact that it fits into the environment very much, the type of courses on offer and the excellent rapport between the parents and the school management and the teachers. This is all to its credit. Nothing would give me greater joy than to come here tonight and to tell you: "Yes, I will open up my purse, so to speak, and hand out the money". But the facts of the matter are that I cannot sanction this because I have not got the back up money to do it. Often I receive letters, indeed I am not referring to you, Senator — we have had the utmost of good relations and courtesy between us — which say: "You are such a cruel Minister, why do you not, with just one stroke of the pen, sanction this school?". But one stroke of the pen might mean £0.5 million or £1 million or in some instances £2 or £3 million. So it is not a stroke of a pen. It is much more than that. I have to say to you that, if it becomes possible to consider authorising the invitation to tender of any projects this year, Inverin will be one of the schools I will give priority to and I think that is a fair commitment. As of now I do not have the capital, nor am I likely to have in this year. You asked if I could give a sort of an IOU for 1990. It would be quite an improper procedure to allocate moneys for 1990 which would not have been voted through by the Dáil on the Estimates. I would not be able to do it. But I give you a commitment that should capital become available to me for second level building projects, Gairmscoil Cholmcille, Indreabhán, County Galway will certainly receive the very highest priority. I am glad to have been here tonight to have heard your undoubted commitment to the school and to the neighbourhood.

The Seanad adjourned at 8.40 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 16 March 1989.