I thank the Chair for affording me the opportunity to raise this important issue with the Minister and I look forward to a favourable response. I regret that I find it necessary to raise this issue once gain. Last week I attended a very hostile public meeting in Swords to discuss the educational requirements in the area and, particularly, the delay in starting the new Fingal Community College. At this stage I should like to compliment the principal and staff of the school who have achieved excellent results with the students under most difficult and trying conditions. What would they have achieved with proper facilities?
I was a member of County Dublin VEC in 1985 when we advertised for and appointed a principal to the new Fingal Community College. School started in September and pupils were accommodated in the old vocational school and today there are 407 students. The school consists of five permanent buildings, one small remedial room, 17 prefabs on the area assigned for a play area in the old school, two cubicles for 250 boys, three cubicles for girls and an outdoor assembly area of 450 square metres. I ask the Minister to try to imagine the problems in the corridors, which are three and a half feet wide, in rainy conditions.
When one thinks of Swords one immediately envisages green fields and open spaces. This rural school is unique. There is no one square metre for recreational purposes on that site. This school is slowly becoming an embarrassment and is seen as a poor relation to other schools with better facilities. It is, indeed, becoming more difficult to sell the good record of the school to parents given the lack of facilities. I fought on the VEC in the late seventies and early eighties to eliminate the stigma attached to VEC schools. Thankfully, this has been removed with the advent of community colleges. It is up to the Minister to ensure that this does not return and provide the necessary finance to build a State school.
We have been informed in recent years that the delay was due to difficulties in securing the adjoining site from the board of management. On 1 May 1990 I was told by the Minister in the House that agreement had been reached with the owners of the property. In view of this why has it taken so long for the schedule of accommodation to be drawn up; the first operation in the planning process in the Department. It shows a lack of commitment by the Government to this school and to Swords.
The people of Swords are amazed at the delay given that shopping complexes and hotels in the area can go through the planning process and commence building within two years. The people of Swords feel — and I tend to agree with them — they have been too quiet on this issue in the past. Other areas that took a more militant attitude got their schools much quicker and I regret this very much.
I ask the Minister this evening to give a commitment that his Department will provide the necessary finance to build that school and ensure that the pupils of Swords, the catchment areas of Donabate, Rolestown and Santry who are depending on that school can look forward to justice and equality, something which is missing. I ask the Minister to give some hope to these people.
