Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 28 May 1992

Vol. 420 No. 5

Adjournment Debate. - Education Matters.

Mr. Connaughton

I thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me to raise this matter this evening. Without intending any disrespect to my colleague, Minister Browne, I express my regret that the Minister for Education is not here to hear my case. I shall be very brief.

St. Mary's Secondary School, Ballygar, County Galway has some very poor prefabricated buildings which have long outlived their usefulness. The outdated conditions under which the students and teachers operate are causing widespread concern and parents are adamant that their children are entitled to better facilities.

The Department of Education decided, after much negotiation, not to proceed with the repair of the existing buildings and to grant aid a new replacement building. This project was to be a low cost but totally adequate and serviceable building and a grant of £125,000 was offered.

The parents' committee of the school employed their own structural engineer who costed his design plans at £185,000. The committee could, with difficulty, accept this offer and would have tried to make up the balance of £60,000 as their contribution. However, as per instructions from the Department, the plans were not acceptable and a design plan was subject to the normal tendering process put the cost of the building at £285,000.

Recently when the Minister met a deputation the grant aid was increased by £70,000. Unfortunately, the size of the local contribution is still too high and cannot be met by a community made up largely of small farmers and many unemployed people.

I ask the Minister (a) to increase the grant aid to £225,000 at least and (b) to allow construction work to start in late June when the exams are concluded.

Parents of children attending St. Mary's College, Ballygar, cannot accept a situation where the local contribution demanded is much higher than anything demanded for similar projects in other areas.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food (Mr. Browne)

I apologise for the absence of both Ministers at the Department of Education, who are away today. It is possible that the Deputy will get a better answer from me.

I am glad to have the opportunity to inform the Deputy and the House about the project in Ballygar. Coláiste Mhuire, a co-educational secondary school, is the sole provider of post-primary education in the catchment area. It has a current enrolment of 281 pupils. Long-term projections is for an enrolment of 220 to 229 pupils. The school consists of some good permanent accommodation and a prefabricated block provided in 1968.

In 1990 the school applied to have the prefabricated block replaced by a permanent structure. An architect from the Department visited the school on more than one occasion and was happy that a very satisfactory upgrading repair job could be undertaken at a cost of about £75,000. That figure was confirmed by the school's architect. However, the school authorities insisted that only replacement by permanent buildings would be acceptable. Following numerous meetings and much correspondence, a maximum grant of £125,000 was approved in 1991 by the former Minister for Education, Mrs. Mary O'Rourke, towards the cost of replacing the prefabricated block with a masonry structure consisting of 564 square metres. The principal accepted the proposal by letter of 17 December 1991. He also submitted tenders with that letter, the lowest thing being for £267,520. He stated that the school authorities had approximately £60,000 towards the cost of the proposed building and that the remainder of the required funds would be obtained through a major fund-raising campaign. The shortfall between the Department's grant, the school's funds and the tender price plus fees would be approximately £100,000. The tender report has been examined by the building unit's technical staff and has proved to be satisfactory. In the meantime, the board and management of Coláiste Mhuire have requested that the grant of £125,000 be substantially increased, as the shortfall of £100,000 could not be met by local funding. The Minister recently met a deputation on this issue and will give his decision very shortly.

Mr. Connaughton

That is not exactly what happened. He said that he would give them £70,000.

Mr. Browne

(Wexford): There is no mention of £70,000 in my briefing.

Mr. Connaughton

That will be a major debating point, and Deputy Kitt knows that, too.

Mr. Browne

(Wexford): The Minister will give a decision shortly.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The issue will have to wait for another occasion.

Mr. M. Kitt

The board and management of Crumlin national school, County Galway, received a letter from the Department of Education on 19 July 1990 stating that the Department had sanctioned a grant of £2,600, two-thirds of the estimated £3,900 cost of carrying out grading, levelling and boundary fencing at the school. That letter was received almost two years ago. Unfortunately, the grant has not been paid.

The school also sought the provision of toilet facilities for their handicapped pupils, one of whom is wheelchair-bound. Previously he was carried into the toilet by one of the teachers. He is now getting to an age at which it is no longer possible for that to be done. It is imperative that suitable toilet facilities be provided for him and for others who may be similarly handicapped. It is envisaged that one of the existing toilets be adapted to accommodate a wheelchair-bound person and that suitable ramps be provided both inside and outside the school to allow wheelchair access to the school and to the toilet.

We were very disappointed to hear in February 1992, more than a year later, that no action had been taken. Despite the fact that a representative from the Office of Public Works had called to the school, taken measures and carried out investigations, nothing happened. The Irish Wheelchair Association commissioned appropriate plans for the adaptation of an existing toilet.

If the matter was urgent a year ago it is even more urgent today. It is totally unacceptable that a lady teacher should have to carry a grown handicapped male student — almost as heavy as herself — into the toilet a number of times per day. Will the Minister state the position in relation to the grants sought for boundary fencing, grading and levelling and the provision of toilet facilities for the handicapped in Crumlin national school, County Galway?

Mr. Browne

(Wexford): I should like to thank Deputy Michael Kitt for raising this issue and I am glad he has given me an opportunity of outlining the situation in regard to grant moneys for improvement works at Crumlin national school, County Galway. Two grants are involved, one towards the cost of boundary fencing, levelling and grading of the school yard and the provision of toilets and other facilities for a physically handicapped pupil.

The position regarding item No. (1) is that a grant of £2,600 has been sanctioned for the necessary improvement works. The matter has been referred to the local Office of Public Works for supervision of these works and for certification in regard to payment of the grant moneys. Certification is still awaited in the Department. There has, I agree, been a long delay in this matter and I will ensure it is resolved at the earliest possible date. I will keep the Deputy fully informed of the situation.

In regard to item No. (2) I have requested, as a matter of urgency, a report from the local Office of Public Works regarding the provision of toilet and other essential facilities for the physically handicapped pupil concerned. I understand that a report will be in my Department very shortly. A grant will be sanctioned immediately so that works can commence at the earliest possible date. I should like to express my thanks to the Deputy for his persistent efforts to ensure that facilities are made available in this very deserving case.

Mr. M. Kitt

Will the Minister of State use his good offices with the Department of Education to have a supplementary boiler provided at Coláiste Seosaimh Secondary School, Glenamaddy, County Galway? This has been the subject of many inquiries and investigations by the Department. The original boiler gave a great deal of trouble, the school looked for a supplementary boiler but, when the Department's inspectors called to the school, it transpired that new piping was required and that additional work would have to be carried out.

The Department have at last agreed that the work should go ahead. I understand that tenders have been received by the Department for this work, I imagine the costs involved amount to about £30,000. The most important matter now is to get approval and the go-ahead so that work can be carried out during the summer months to ensure that the students attending this school next September will have a supplementary boiler in the school to provide heating. I hope the Minister will give me a positive reply in this regard.

Mr. Browne

(Wexford): An application for the installation of a second boiler and replacement piping at Coláiste Seosaimh, Glenamaddy, together with an engineer's report on the heating system in the school was submitted to the Department in 1991. Following a visit to the school and an examination of the documentation submitted by my Department's senior engineer, sanction issued to the school in July 1991 to seek tenders for the necessary work.

In March 1992 the relevant tender documentation was submitted to my Department and has been examined by the senior engineer.

I know the Deputy is aware of the difficult financial situation that exists in my Department. However, bearing in mind the seriousness of the problem in the school, in the context of the availability of capital resources it is hoped to convey a decision in this matter to the school shortly.

Mr. M. Kitt

Has a contractor been appointed?

Mr. Browne

(Wexford): I do not have that information but I expect a decision very soon.

Mr. Carey

Inch is in the parish of Kilmaley and is within about two miles of Ennis. As a result it is suffering and people in the parish are making a great effort to keep this national school alive. I very much regret that the Department of Education have failed to restore the school bus service which was withdrawn last year.

There have been many meetings between different people — political on one side and bureaucratic on the other. I have verified the details which I will give as accurate. There are 13 children who should be eligible to travel on the school bus. Regina Fitzpatrick lives in Gortmore and the three Killeen children Rory, Vincent and Brendan, live in Clonfeigh. Brendan and Paul Warren live in Capalea and Eilis Barry lives at Tullassa; Lisa Hogan also lives at Tullassa and so do David and Shane Hickey. All those children are living over three miles from the school. John, Michael, Noelle and Yvonne Fitzpatrick live in the townland of Cragleigh; J.J. and Mark Mungovan also live in the area.

When the examining officer was requested to change the bus route he reexamined the entire route and he prevented some children from travelling on the bus because he claimed they were nearer another school. Prior to this the Fitzpatrick family had attended Inch national school. In the meantime, the Department of Education built Cloghleigh school near Ennis. That was 14 or 15 years ago, it was decided that the Fitzpatick family should not attend Inch national school but nobody did anything about it. The parish is suffering very badly as a result and is likely to be subsumed into Ennis. I am sure if the Minister of State knew that a small parish on the outskirts of Wexford town would be sucked into the town he would not like it. In this case the very sincere manager, Fr. Desmond, who is very upset over this, feels that he has been exploited by the Department of Education. The Minister, and his officials, should at least meet the board of management as this has never been done.

The examining officer claimed that there was a right of way from Gortmore down to Shallee, a farmer's road on which there is no public right of way. That has been the hold-up in this case and I am very disappointed at the attitude of the Department of Education officials to this.

Mr. Browne

(Wexford): I assure Deputy Carey that I would certainly like to see schools in rural areas protected. He might like to know that we also have an Inch in County Wexford.

I would like to thank the Deputy for his contribution to this debate. At the outset, I would like to say that the Department of Education have a responsibility to ensure the safe delivery of approximately 165,000 primary and post-primary pupils to schools throughout the country. We also have the responsibility to ensure that the State gets the best possible value for the money it expends on the provision of this service. In the current year, approximately £36 million will be spent on the provision of this service.

Eligibility for primary school transport, on distance and attendance grounds, is determined by reference to the nearest school. In order to be eligible for free school transport, children under ten years of age must live at least two miles from their nearest school, while older children must live at least three miles from that school.

Bus Éireann, the agent for my Department, administer the primary school transport scheme on the ground. That company assesses the eligibility of all primary children seeking school transport and determine eligibility and routes in accordance with the terms of the primary school transport scheme.

In order to establish, or retain, a school transport service under the terms of the primary school transport scheme:

There must be a sufficient number of children in a distinct locality attending their nearest national school to ensure that the average daily number of eligible children conveyed each term is not less than ten.

In the case of Inch national school, County Clare, the average daily number of eligible children being conveyed from the Tullassa, Cappalea and Clonfeigh locality, during both the easter and summer school terms, 1991, had fallen to six and, consequently, the school authorities were informed by my Department that the service from this locality would have to be withdrawn at the end of the summer school term, 1991.

The parents and school authorities subsequently submitted a list of children to my Department in the hope that a sufficient number of eligible children were available in order to have the service restored. The Department, on further investigation, found that both the school authorities and parents were counting ineligible children for whom Inch national school was not their nearest national school. Ineligible children cannot be counted towards the retention of a service. The Department also found that the numbers of eligible children had fallen further to five since the service had been discontinued.

The parents' body included in their list certain children from the Cloughleigh school area in order to make up the required ten. Under the terms of the transport scheme children from another school area may not be counted for purposes of establishment or retention of a service. Such children are only allowed to travel to a school other than their own on an incidental fare-paying basis. The parent's argument is that Cloughleigh school is overcrowded so their children cannot attend it. The Department investigated and found this not to be the case.

A new list of children has recently been forwarded to the Department. Again, the school authorities and parents have included ineligible children for whom Inch national school is not their nearest national school. Consequently, the situation remains as before. Only six eligible pupils are currently available for transport, so that the numbers are still insufficient.

I will pass on to the Minister for Education Deputy Carey's request that he meet a deputation from the board of management to see what can be done about this matter.

The Dáil adjourned at 5.40 p.m. until 12.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 3 June 1992.