I am delighted the Minister for Education and Science is in the House in light of the announcement made today regarding the Book of Estimates and the increased allocation for the Department.
Some 97 children attend Ardkeeran National School. In November 1999 an application was made for a new school. A report on the school was carried out by the environmental health department of Markievicz House in Sligo. Two classrooms are inadequate in terms of size for the number of students. In order to provide a room for the new remedial teacher the cloakroom area for senior children has been moved into the corridor, which makes the area unsafe. A staff room has not been provided and storage and cleaning facilities are also inadequate. The play area is also inadequate for the number of students attending the school.
There are many defects in the school structure, including the following. A large number of the timber window frames are rotten and in defective condition and need replacing. The base of the external door located adjacent to the girls' sanitary accommodation is in rotten condition with a large gap underneath the door. This problem requires immediate attention as, at the time of inspection, there was evidence of rodents in the centre of the classroom, and the door should be repaired. Both drinking water fountains were out of order at the time of inspection and should be replaced. The surfaces of some of the storage heaters were in a dirty and rusty condition. Much of the paintwork throughout the school, especially in the girls' accommodation, is defective. Some sections of the concrete surface in the yard are uneven. The sanitary accommodation is totally inadequate.
The school was built in 1904 and has accommodation for 94 children. Last Sunday evening I visited the school with a number of other local representatives. It is unbelievable, and clearly the case for a new school has been well made by the school management.
The Bishop of Elphin has offered two sites through the management board. On 15 February the Department's architects inspected the sites, but no final report has been issued to the board of management. On 11 January 2001 the Department stated in a letter that its official had examined the existing school site and had deemed it unsuitable. It is a land locked site and we are extremely fortunate that the Bishop has offered two very extensive sites free of charge.
I listened to the Minister outlining the level of funding available for new schools. I will expect the Minister to indicate clearly the timescale for the development of a new school for Ardkeeran-Riverstown in light of the catalogue of inefficiencies and deficiencies at the school. I know he is committed to funding primary schools and I appeal to him to send his officials back to that school. The management board has sought clarification on many points. There is a huge lack of co-ordination. Correspondence has been issued by the management board which has not been reacted to by the Department, which disappoints me. Having attended a meeting last Sunday evening, there is great concern that 97 children now attend this school. I was also shocked at that.
We are now in a new millennium. This school was funded by the British in 1904 and I hope that by 2004, or before that date, a new school will be provided for Riverstown. I am anxiously awaiting the Minister's clarification which will give some indication of the funding and timescale in regard to this new school which is urgently required. Given the Minister's announcement today, the allocation of £97 million in the Estimates by the Minister for Finance, and the increase this year, I have no doubt a new school for Riverstown will be sanctioned.
