I am sorry to have the Minister here so late at night, or rather so early in the morning, but this is an important project. I understand there are already ten multi-denominational schools in existence in the country, with approximately 2,000 pupils and 70 teachers employed. Galway, no less than these other parts of the country where multi-denominational schools have already been established, has a demand for such a school. The Galway School Project has been working on the provision of such a school for the past four years. They have 160 pupils pre-enrolled of which possibly 60 to 90 would attend school this coming September if a school building was available to them.
For the past four years the committee have been trying to open this school and have satisfied all the Department of Education requirements with the exception of providing a suitable premises. Their priority is to seek accommodation in buildings which have already been used for educational purposes, because in that way they would already be complying with the stringent planning and safety regulations which apply to the construction of school buildings.
I understand that St. Brendan's National School at Cemetery Cross on the Tuam Road in Galway has been completely vacant for 12 months, from June 1992 to June 1993. Indeed, prior to that a considerable number of classrooms within the school were vacant because pupil numbers had simply fallen in that school. The committee's application for space within that school dates back to March 1990 and they can produce correspondence addressed to the chairperson of the then board of management. They repeatedly applied but were informed that the vacant space was being used and they never received any positive reply.
Since June 1992 they have been in contact with Bishop McLoughlin, who was patron of the school. They understood that the Church were the owners of the building and the Bishop has replied informing them, as he has informed me, that the diocese had informed the Department of Education that they were prepared to hand the school building over for use as a school for the children of travellers in the Galway city region.
This committee are now desperate to find some premises wherein they can open this school and accommodate the huge numbers of pupils they have on their rolls. As this stage they are prepared to lease space in the St. Brendan's building, bearing in mind that it has been totally vacant for the past 12 months. They are prepared to share the building with the travelling community if it is required by them for a school building. I understand they have not confirmed their interest in using the building. I understand also it may have been offered to the Gaelscoil Dara group, but I believe they are not too keen to use this building either.
We now have the unusual situation where the school has been offered to two other groups who are seeking premises and a third group who desperately require a premises have no offer. Could the Minister of State give an indication tonight that he or the Minister will take a personal interest in this matter and seek to resolve it quickly in order to enable the children commence their school year in September.
I understand that the Brothers of Charity, who own the Holy Family School, wish to vacate part of that building and that St. Brendan's has been offered to some of the school groups. Gaelscoil Dara are located in the Holy Family premises at the moment, as indeed are the traveller group. As I said, the Galway school project would be willing to share with any other group; and should the building be allocated to the group of traveller children who are currently on the Holy Family campus there would still be sufficient room for both groups in St. Brendan's because it is an eight classroom school.
We now have the extraordinary situation where this huge school building has been empty for 12 months. It is on a very large site which would accommodate a substantial number of prefabs if required because of the size of the site. The Minister, Deputy Bhreathnach, has not communicated with the Galway School Project, apart from sending acknowledgements from the Department. That is very unsatisfactory and I am disappointed because this group met with the Minister on 19 February last when she was in Galway speaking at the Green Paper Seminar. On that occasion she expressed firm support for the project but since then they have heard nothing definite from the Minister.
I hope the Minister of State will clear up any confusion that may exist tonight and take some initiative to ensure that these children can attend school in September.
