I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this matter on the Adjournment, but I am disappointed the Minister has not come into the House to reply to the debate. She seems to be continuing the practice she followed in the last Government of not considering it worth her while to come into the House to reply to Adjournment debates. She came into the House earlier when a quorum was called. In saying that, I am not casting a reflection on the Minister of State who I thank for taking the trouble to come in to reply.
I am very familiar with Ballygunner national school because my son is a pupil there and it is located in my parish. It is located in a part of Waterford city that has experienced a huge population growth in recent years and, having regard to the number of houses planned for the area in the next few years, that population growth will continue in that vein for many years. There are many green fields in the area and hundreds of houses are planned. Therefore, the number of pupils wishing to attend Ballygunner school will escalate in the next few years.
The Department is probably considering providing two additional classrooms at the school, but that will not be enough. When the school was commissioned planning permission was sought for a 16 classroom school. Eight were built initially and two later. The school has ten classrooms with 11 classes that double up at junior infants, first and sixth classes, but they should be doubling up at every level. Ultimately the school will need two classes from junior infants to sixth class and even that will not be adequate. A second school will be needed in the area at some stage in the future. The school has ten assistant teacher posts and sanction was recently given for an additional one.
A total of 95 applicants have applied for a place in the school in September 1995 but the school can cater for only 38, the other 57 will be disappointed. The school has a policy of taking brothers and sisters of pupils already attending the school. As there are 29 in that category, only nine new families will be catered for. The school has received 67 applications for 1996, 60 for 1997 and 54 for 1998 which is three and a half years away. They have even received 18 applications for 1999. I spoke to a woman recently who put her son's name on a waiting list for a place in the school when he was only three or four months old. He is due to go to school next September but she cannot secure a place for him in Ballygunner. It has almost reached the stage that once a child is conceived his or her name will have to be placed on the waiting list for this school. I hope this information provides the Minister with an idea of the school's requirements. It is pointless telling us that two additional classrooms will be provided. The school needs six additional classrooms and it would be much more cost effective to carry out all the work at once rather than piecemeal.
