I welcome the opportunity to raise this matter. The need for a new school in Rathmore, County Kerry, has never been more pressing. In anticipation of a new school, no funding for upgrading existing facilities has been forthcoming from the Department of Education and Science.
In June 1998, the boards of management and parents of the Presentation Convent primary school, Shrone national school and St. Joseph's boys national school agreed in principle to the proposed amalgamation of the three schools. Of the schools, St. Joseph's is most in need of replacement but that is not to discredit the needs of the other schools. St. Joseph's school is a hazard to teachers and pupils and the standard of accommodation is so bad that even the Department accepted that it is one of the worst schools in the country. The building was condemned by the environmental health officers of the Southern Health Board two years ago and by the INTO.
I recently visited the school and was shocked by the level of disrepair. The toilets are housed in an outside building which is unfit for human use. In all kinds of weather, children must cross the yard to use these highly inadequate facilities and there is no staff to ensure that they are safe at all times and that they return to their classroom afterwards. This is no fault of the hard pressed teachers.
The three classrooms in the school are completely inadequate and do not represent the standards which children and teachers should expect in 2000. The roof of the main building leaks continually and is in constant need of repair. This acts as a distraction and discomfort for all using the building. It is no surprise that rats found a safe haven under the computer desks in all the classrooms in the winter of 1998. The windows in the building are completely rotten and cannot be opened which is proving very uncomfortable given the current balmy temperatures.
Because of the lack of space in the school, the remedial teacher is forced to work from a prefabricated building located across from the yard. This is also inappropriate given that pupils must leave the supervision of the school to gain crucial assistance with their schooling. It grieves me to raise this matter at a time of unprecedented wealth and that children are subjected to archaic facilities such as outside toilets which are inadequate for any person, never mind a child.
We are providing computers and up-to-date technology in all our schools and this is welcome. However, there is a serious disregard for children when we cannot provide them with the basics of decent classrooms and toilet facilities. The reason the boys national school has fallen into such a bad state of repair is that the management expected it would transfer to the vocational school when the new community college was completed some years ago. The Department then proposed the amalgamation and this was agreed. In spite of the best efforts of management, and Fr. Horgan in particular, nothing positive has happened.
I raised the inadequacies of this school in a parliamentary question last month and the Minister responded by saying that the case had been referred to the property managment section of the Office of Public Works. This response was highly unsatisfactory and unacceptable to the people of Rathmore. The pupils and teachers in Rathmore boys school have waited long enough and I want a commitment from the Minister to prioritise the acquisition of the site and progress with the building of a new school as soon as possible.
