Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 1 Dec 1993

Vol. 138 No. 9

Adjournment Matters. - Stranorlar (Donegal) College.

Mr. McGowan

I thank the Minister for Education, Deputy Bhreathnach, for taking this matter. I know she is busy and I appreciate her coming to the Seanad.

I tabled this motion about St. Columba's College, Stranorlar, County Donegal, because the situation at the school is serious. This college was built for 500 students, but its success has increased the numbers to approximately 1,200 which has created many problems for the teaching staff and parents.

I understand that the finance for a commitment by the Department of Education for an extension approved approximately one year ago has not been provided and that is my principal concern. It is discouraging that, although the college management obtained approval for a minor extension it has not been funded.

To give the Minister an overall picture of the situation, more than half the students are transported by bus 16 to 20 miles, morning and evening. It is hard to explain to parents why their children are taught in such overcrowded conditions. I appreciate that the Minister is less than a year in office and that she has an ongoing major programme of assistance and development, in relation to primary and secondary schools. I appreciate her position.

However, the Minister and the Department must appreciate the situation in St. Columba's College, Stranorlar. We cannot allow it to continue without raising it as many times as necessary to get the Minister to raise the finance from whatever source, the National Development Plan, the inter-aid programme or whatever. While there are difficulties and competition for money, there is no acceptable explanation for a lack of funding to St. Columba's College. The fact that the Minister has been kind enough to attend the House this evening, will, I hope, provide an answer to my question which will enable me to tell the manager, the principal and those involved that the present diabolical conditions will not last.

I do not believe one needs to stretch one's imagination too far to know what it is like to have a college built for 500 students which now accommodates 1,2000 students. It is unworkable, which is patently obvious on a wet morning when buses and students are trying to get in and out.

When will funding be provided for the approved extension? Will the Minister send an official from her Department to make an assessment of the college's needs? I ask her to put forward proposals to help the college to develop to meet the needs of its population.

I appreciate the Minister's presence in the House and I hope her answer will be favourable.

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

Thank you, a Chathaoirligh, and Senator McGowan for your welcome to this House. I am grateful for the opportunity to respond to the matter raised regarding St. Columba's College. I am aware of the need to provide additional accommodation and I am glad that the architectural planning of an extension to the school which will alleviate their accommodation problems in now complete.

I would like first to give some brief details on the background to the project. The college is a co-educational school originally built for 650 pupils in the early 1980s. It had an enrolment of 1,108 in the school year just finished. The school expanded significantly and rapidly and the Department has endeavoured over the years to assist the school authorities in meeting the ever increasing demands on its accommodation and resources. In all, 19 prefabs have been provided at the school, six of which and a toilet block, were provided in 1991 to help alleviate the accommodation problems for the 1991-92 school year.

Following visits to the school by a senior inspector from my Department it was concluded that although the school had an adequate number of teaching spaces to cater for its enrolment, its growth is such that the continuing provision of prefabricated accommodation did not in itself cater for the educational and operational needs of the school as a whole.

Following a full assessment of the school's accommodation requirements by the planning and building unit of my Department and consultation with the school authorities, conversion works and the provision of 450 square metres of additional new accommodation was approved in August 1992. Architectural planning of the extension was immediately initiated and the school authorities were authorised to prepare the relevant documentation, including the preparation of tender documentation.

The conversion work to which I referred was part of the overall project. However, my Department, in July of this year, in recognition of the inadequate home economics facilities in the school, approved a proposal from the school to convert the existing library to a home economics room. A circulation door and associated works to relieve congestion problems were also approved by my Department and all this work was grant-aided. In addition, grant-aid equivalent to the provision of two prefabricated classrooms and a career guidance officer for the current school year was also approved.

The accommodation in St. Columba's has been monitored on a continuous basis by my Department and I am sure the Senator will agree that, over the years, every effort was made to ensure that the needs of the pupils were met.

The extension at St. Columba's will be released to tender at the earliest possible time. This project, with many other urgent projects currently with my Department, will be considered in the context of the 1994 capital allocation and my Department's ongoing commitments and priorities. However, the Senator will appreciate it is not possible to give an exact starting date until the 1994 Estimates have been finalised. I assure the Senator, however, that no effort will be spared in ensuring that the additional accommodation required at St. Columba's will be provided at the earliest possible time.

The Seanad adjourned at 8.30 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 2 December 1993.