I am delighted to see the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley, here again for the Adjournment debate.
Fenor national school in County Waterford is awaiting sanction for a resource and learning support room to be built. Planning permission and all the relevant documentation, plans, drawings etc. are in place and the project went out to tender on 19 September 2002. A verbal commitment was given by the Department that the new room would be built, commencing December 2002. This obviously has not happened and the board of management cannot understand why this small project was not even on the schools building programme for 2003.
When the learning support and resource teachers are in the school at the same time, children have to be taught on the corridor. The learning support room they are using is a small storeroom measuring 8 ft. by 4.5 ft., which is totally inadequate. This leads to another problem in that they have no storeroom to use, no principal's office, no parents' room etc. However, their main priority is a new learning support and resources room. A number of small pilot project were announced last year for jobs like this and I appeal to the Minister of State to ensure that sanction is given for a similar project so that the children of this school get fair play and are treated in a proper manner. It is an excellent school and there is a strong community spirit in Fenor.