Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 4 Jul 1995

Vol. 455 No. 4

Adjournment Debate. - Cavan Vocational School Accommodation.

Mr. B. Smith

I thank you, Sir, for allowing me to raise this important issue on the Adjournment. I am glad the Minister is in attendance to respond.

Cavan vocational school was built in 1974 with classroom accommodation for 560 pupils. In the meantime, there has been a considerable increase in the school's enrolment, and the expected enrolment in September will be 713; that is the number of pupils who have accepted places in the school for the coming school year which is just two months away. From the figures quoted it is obvious that there is an urgent need to provide additional accommodation at this school.

As part of a construction studies project, four additional rooms were built at this school in 1984. In the meantime two of these rooms have been in use as classrooms with partial services only. The other two rooms need electrical and heating services and some refurbishment, such as, the provision of ceiling tiles. This work needs to be undertaken to enable these rooms to be ready for classroom use in September.

This accommodation did not cost the Department from its capital funds as all the costs were met from the school's current expenditure. Great credit is due to the teaching staff who undertook that project with their students, a project that will have lasting benefits from a learning and accommodation point of view. The rooms were built to proper specifications, and I understand that all the technical queries raised recently by the Department have been responded to satisfactorily.

To meet the classroom accommodation needs of the student population of this school in September, there is an urgent need to have these four rooms fitted out properly as classrooms. As well as upgrading those rooms, the school needs two prefabricated buildings.

I raised this issue by way of parliamentary question recently, and the Minister replied that the accommodation requirements at Cavan vocational school were still being considered by her Department. I am sure she will agree that a decision on the vocational education committee application is urgently needed and I hope she can give me positive news. The school is not looking for accommodation above and beyond its needs. The vocational education committee, the chief executive officer of the vocational education committee, the principal and staff of the school are anxious that this application be finalised without further delay. The school has a very committed and hard working staff. The vocational education committee, the chief executive officer, the staff and the parents wish to see the appropriate classrooms provided for the commencement of the 1995-96 school year, and I hope this will be achievable.

Mr. Bhreathnach

I am grateful to the Deputy for giving me this opportunity to clarify the position concerning the provision of additional accommodation at Cavan vocational school. Initially I would like to give some details regarding the background to this case.

In 1994 the school erected a four classroom extension in conjunction with FÁS without any reference to my Department. However, because of a lack of local finance it was not possible for the school authorities to complete the extension. It is understood that two of the rooms remain unoccupied because the vocational education committee was unable to provide heating, furniture or equipment. The vocational education committee applied for grant aid to complete the four classroom extension and my Department's planning and building unit which examined this application would have no objection in principle to the provision of grant aid to complete the project in question.

The vocational education committee has since submitted various reports to my Department including an architect's report and mechanical and electrical engineers report concerning the extension. However, despite a number of requests for a structural engineer's report, the vocational education committee failed to submit it and the matter could not be progressed further.

Subsequently, the vocational education committee applied for funding for temporary accommodation on 8 May 1995. As a result of this application the Department has examined the school's accommodation needs and has established that two additional teaching spaces would meet its current requirements. As this need could be met by the two unoccupied classrooms built by the school, the Department again raised the question of completing these rooms with the vocational education committee. Following this the vocational education committee submitted a structural engineer's report on the building and my Department is now examining the extent of the works needed to finish it. If this is economically and architecturally feasible there will be no need to provide temporary classrooms.

As of now a decision has not yet been reached on whether to complete the unfinished building or to provide temporary classrooms as requested by the vocational education committee. However, I fully appreciate the school's difficulties and accordingly every effort will be made to finalise the matter as soon as possible.