I wish to share my time with Senator Gallagher.
I wish to welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Deputy Aylward, to the House and I hope he will bring us some good news with regard to the problem I wish to raise. I am trying to force the Minister for Education, and the Government, to provide funds for the provision of a new school for the parish of Killany, which is presently serviced by Ballymackney NS. The people of Killany are anxious that the funds be provided, not some time in the future, but in 1994. My call will be supported by Senator Gallagher, who also has an interest in developments in regard to that school.
Ballymackney NS was built in 1847 — we would all be aware that that was one of the famine years. It has withstood 150 years of great change but has not changed significantly itself, apart from the addition of a prefabricated building in the school yard. That prefab was in good condition 25 years ago but today it is a dilapidated and horrible looking. The entire school is unsuitable for the purpose for which it is intended. It is the oldest school in country. No doubt it was a fine building in 1847 and served its purpose. In 1930 it was probably a fine building, but today it is not.
The school is a fire hazard and it is a danger to the pupils who enter it each morning. If a fire broke out during school hours, pupils might become trapped in the building. Although a fire broke one and a half years ago, it happened one afternoon when the school was closed. The fire was brought under control and it did not destroy the building. Indeed, the people of Killany, Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, are disappointed that it did not. If the fire had destroyed the building they would have had a better chance of getting a new school.
At this stage the children's parents are up in arms. Senator Gallagher and I are aware of that fact. A public meeting was held in the area a number of weeks ago, which I unfortunately could not attend. However, I got a report of what happened and the parents are angry. They believe they are not getting a fair crack of the whip. They are classified as second class citizens and they deserve better. I want the Minister to make a commitment in regard to the provision of a new school in the parish of Killany to replace the existing school at Ballymackney and that next year's Estimate will include provision for that building. In other words, next years capital programme must include money for the provision of a new school. The local community has organised funding and everything is ready in this regard. Given the pressure placed on local representatives and the fact they have a solid case, the local community expect the project to go ahead next year.
In recent days people have telephoned me about school funding for next year, particularly in light of questions about the £8.7 billion, £7.2 billion, etc. Having looked through the figures, an independent analyst informed me that we are talking about £5.8 billion. That capsizes the Government's plan each year until the end of the century.
