I welcome the Minister to the House. My motion is in relation to the Central Model School in Marlborough Street, which is in the grounds of the Department of Education. It has been in a decrepit and derelict condition since 1982 when it was partially destroyed by fire. This school is specifically under the jurisdiction of the Minister for Education. The school consisted of pre-fabs for a ten year period. The pre-fabs that were put in place in 1982, after the burning down of the old Central Model School, were ten years old at that time, so now we have 20 year old pre-fabs which are quite unsuitable. They are far too hot in summer and in the winter they are far too cold. As well as that they are in a very bad condition. The lifespan of pre-fabs of this nature is only about 50 per cent of what they are at present. They should never have been erected.
I raised this matter on three occasions — in November 1989, in May 1990, in November 1991 and now I raise it in June 1992. Deputy O'Rourke was the Minister, although there was a change in November 1991. She stated that approval had been given for the reconstruction and refurbishment of the school and the intention was that it would be constructed as quickly as possible.
The last time I raised it, in November 1991, I was told that the only thing stopping it from going ahead was the fact that the primary school building budget had been reduced from £16 million in the 1991 Estimates to £11 million, which had not been foreseen, and therefore it was not in that particular programme for reconstruction.
In the 1992 Estimates we were told by no less an authority than the representative of the then Minister for Finance that a million pounds had been set aside specifically for the development and reconstruction of this school and that everything would follow the normal set of procedures from that point onwards. Bills of quantity and architect's plans would be prepared, and it would go to tender before April of this year. Two years have gone by and it has not gone out to tender yet. I understand that the architect has been taken off the work drawing up the plans, that it will be a number of weeks before the plans can be drawn up and that it is questionable whether it can go out to tender before the summer at all. We are talking now of a possible date in the autumn at the very earliest.
This is typical of the statements and promises we have been given over the last number of years. In the last three years I have been told almost exactly the same thing. It seems as though it is within our grasp and then it eludes us again because promises made have not been fulfilled. What worries me most is that since the appointment of the present Minister the urgency seems to have gone out of the situation and the work seems not to be done in the Department in relation to putting this out to tender. It is alarming that the architect seems to have been taken off the project since the appointment of the new Minister. I would like the Minister to respond to that.
What is the status now of the Central Model School in Marlborough Street on the Department of Education grounds? We were told that it was going to be one of the projects that would be dealt with through the budget this year, that the funding for it had been provided, but now the work seems to have stopped.
The people who suffer are the children. They are there in inadequate pre-fabricated accommodation. The roof leaks and much of the floor is quite rotten. The steps of the emergency exit have simply rotted away. In the case of fire or any emergency, a child who wanted to get out the back urgently would drop to the ground, because the three wooden steps have literally rotted away and are lying on the ground outside the building. The boys toilet is in very bad condition. There is no office for the staff, no staff room or office in which to carry out administrative work. It is a derelict building in the grounds of the Department of Education.
I understand the Minister has done a lot of work to refurbish his own office in the Department, but nothing has been done for the children for whom he is responsible. It is scandalous and I hope we do not have another broken promise, as we had when we were told that £1 million had been put aside specifically for this development.
I would also point out to the Minister that we are undoubtedly in breach of the health and safety legislation we passed in this House not so long ago. If an action were taken by any of the parents the building would have to be vacated.
I urge the Minister to consider that we have a school where the staff and the pupils have worked under very difficult conditions over the last ten years. The situation has been described as temporary since 1982 and it was to be remedied "at the earliest possible moment". Much effort was put into maintaining numbers. We are talking about an inner city school, where the children mainly come from the surrounding flats complexes, and it is a difficult situation. The quality of education is good and there is good morale among parents and staff. That is due to the superb efforts that have been made. If this refurbishment programme is put on the long finger again and the morale of the people is eventually sapped, as could well happen, then we will find ourselves in a hopeless situation.
It is a terrible reflection on the Minister for Education and on the Office of the Minister for Education that in the backyard of the premises in which the Minister resides and does his daily work there are some of the worst school conditions imaginable in this city and country. I hope we will have a positive response from the Minister and that he will be able to give me a timescale for having this project implemented and executed.
