I wish to share my time with my constituency colleague, Deputy Kavanagh.
Adjournment Debate. - Glendalough (Wicklow) School.
Is that satisfactory? Agreed.
I want to thank the Minister for coming in here tonight to deal with this urgent matter as I know she is very busy. It is extremely rare for me to use the mechanism of the Adjournment Debate. The fact that I have availed of it tonight reflects the urgency of this matter of St. Kevin's School in Glendalough, County Wicklow.
The Minister has looked into this with me and other Deputies in the past and I know she is au fait with the situation. I want to emphasise the time factor here tonight. There is a major problem in the school, and that is accepted. I have here a report from the Eastern Health Board school medical officer which states that the building is quite unsuitable, that there is no natural light and flourescent tubes must be used, the toilets are totally inadequate and rodents have been seen in the school hall. The report concludes that the premises are definitely unsuitable and require to be replaced by modern premises as soon as possible. In addition to that, the INTO in a nationwide survey this week highlighted this school, among other schools, as being in urgent need of attention.
The local community hall is being used at the moment as a classroom for this school, leaving the local community devoid of a hall and, although they have been ultra co-operative, they have issued notice to the school management to vacate the premises.
I am satisfied that the Minister is au fait with the situation. I am equally satisfied that she is concerned about it. She has already authorised the work that needs to be done. What I am now asking is that she would expedite the provision of the necessary funding so that work can proceed. If she could tell us tonight that she will include this in her 1994 figures, we would be extremely delighted going back to Wicklow this evening.
I would like to thank my colleague for allowing me just a minute of his time to support him in his plea to the Minister, whom we are glad to see with us tonight.
Glendalough is associated with scholarship and learning since the beginning of the last millennium. It was the University of Europe in those early years, when it sent its scholars all over Europe to educate and illuminate the great traditions of education throughout Europe. We have seen many millions of pounds spent in Glendalough on maintaining the historic buildings in that area and on interpreting the work done in those early years, and the Minister has visited there on many occasions.
On this occasion we should consider the needs of the young students who are there today, fewer in number but nevertheless very important to Wicklow. We are not asking for millions of pounds; we are asking the Minister to raise the standard of the building to an acceptable level. I know the Minister has great knowledge of County Wicklow, particularly of this area and that we can count on her to intervene to ensure that work is carried out on this building as soon as possible.
I am glad of the opportunity the Deputy has presented me with to clarify the position in relation to this matter. This three teacher school had an enrolment of 70 pupils in September 1992. The existing accommodation consists of two classrooms, and I understand that the third teacher is at present accommodated in the local parish hall which is situated some distance from the main school building. My Department is aware that the conditions at this school are far from satisfactory, and of the need to provide suitable accommodation for the third teacher and class. Approval has therefore been given for a major building project at the school.
The scheme will include the upgrading and refurbishment of the two existing classrooms, together with the provision of additional classroom and ancillary facilities. The architectural planning of the project is proceeding and I understand that sketch plans are in course of preparation. When these have been completed they will be forwarded to the school authorities to enable them to apply for local authority planning permission for the project.
As the Deputy will appreciate every school invariably makes the case that its project is deserving of special attention. My Department and I would be more than delighted if, in a world where resources were unlimited, every scheme could proceed at the same time. However, as the Deputy will be aware, because of the large volume of major building projects on hands and the limitations on resources, it is possible to allow only a certain number of projects to proceed to construction in any one financial year. Unfortunately it was not possible to include this project in the national schools' capital programme for 1993. However, I wish to assure the Deputies that my Department accepts that this is a project deserving of the highest priority in the context of projects to be allowed to proceed to construction in 1994.
The Dáil adjourned at 8.55 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 28 October 1993.