Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 30 Jan 2002

Vol. 547 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - Schools Building Projects.

Mr. U. Burke

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this item tonight and I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dea, who will take the debate. It is, however, regrettable that the Minster for Education and Science has failed almost during all the lifetime of this Dáil to come here and stand his ground to explain why he has failed so miserably to deliver on this important aspect of education. He has not come in to take one of these items and one can only assume that, in this instance, because he has stifled any attempt to make provision for Cahergal national school, he is unable to come here to justify his actions.

There are more than 840 schools seeking extensions and replacement and the Government is dealing with 80 per annum, which means it will never catch up. It has failed – equality does not exist in the Minister's mind as far as education is concerned. Why are the pupils in this overcrowded school denied equal opportunity with children in other areas? It is because the Minister is in a hold-all situation. He has stifled education and progress and is on a holding mission because the Minister for Finance will not give him the funds to allow projects like Cahergal national school to go ahead.

For five years architectural surveys have been carried out on the school and reports produced. The proposal changed from an extension to a new school and then to a change of site for the school, all delaying tactics. The parents, board of management, staff and children have had enough. They are demoralised because of the Minister's inaction. Throughout the 1990s enrolment at this rural school, against all the trends, has increased from 70 to 102 pupils. There are three classrooms and a 20 year old prefab which would have fallen to bits had the caretaker not patched it together at weekends. If that is what the Minister of State calls delivering an education service, he and the Minister have failed.

The Minister of State will not accept responsibility for that, but I do not want him tonight to read off jargon and clichés assembled by civil servants who have no concern for those at this school in Tuam, County Galway. I want to hear the Minister stating that the people who have given a lifetime of commitment to this school and have raised funding to keep it going will have a date on which to start building the new school. That is what will satisfy them.

There is no point in trying to make phone calls. All communications with the Department of Education and Science have failed. The chairman of the school's board of management has said that since last April he has endeavoured by writing, phoning and every other possible method to contact the planning unit in Tullamore but only gets answering machines or excuses. The Minister has failed. These people are entitled to equality.

The school has had to use the cloakrooms for educational activities. The resource teacher operates from a room 1.4 metres square which is also used to store IT equipment sent by the Department, which is still in its boxes. The Minister ought not to give us rhetoric but a decision to allow this school to proceed in the current year.

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science (Mr. O'Dea)

I apologise for the Minister's unavoidable absence.

Cahergal national school has a staffing level of a principal, three mainstream class teachers, a shared remedial teacher and a shared resource teacher. The enrolment at 30 September 2001 was 102 pupils. The school's facilities consist of three classrooms, some limited ancillary accommodation and a prefab.

Mr. U. Burke

Twenty years old.

Mr. O'Dea

The allocation for primary buildings in 2002 is 153.6 million which is a record level of funding and demonstrates the Government's commitment to improving the accommodation in primary schools, such as Cahergal national school, under its expanded schools building programme.

Mr. U. Burke

Tell that to the people.

Mr. O'Dea

In this context, the proposed major building project at Cahergal national school will proceed to architectural planning and to the preparation of tender documents as soon as it is possible to do so under the building programme. While the major building project is progressing—

Mr. U. Burke

Never.

Mr. O'Dea

—the Department has advised the board of management that it is prepared to approve interim measures to address urgent health and safety issues at the school and to provide temporary accommodation to alleviate the shortage of classroom space. It is open to the board to take up this offer at any stage, in the interests of the children and teachers, if in its judgment the current facilities are unsatisfactory or unsafe. The Department is fully committed to the provision of improved accommodation at Cahergal national school and I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to state this to the House.

Mr. U. Burke

More of the same.

Mr. Howlin

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on Scoil Charman. Like Deputy Ulick Burke, I do not want the prepared script as I have it in front of me and it repeats verbatim what was said to Deputy Ulick Burke. We are not interested in global figures but in the specifics of the schools we bring to the Minister's attention. We expect and deserve better. The Department of Education and Science is the Department most contemptuous of the requirements of Deputies who bring issues to this House.

Mr. U. Burke

Hear. Hear.

Mr. Howlin

I want to raise the issue of Gaelscoil Charman in Wexford town and I do not want the same answer we heard in relation to Cahergal, with the names changed – one answer suits all.

The gaelscoil movement has enlivened communities across the country. Good people rallied to build schools with an ethos that is unique and attracted high calibre teachers to educate their children. In Wexford town, 225 pupils are involved in the gaelscoil, but unfortunately they use a totally inadequate and dangerous premises. One class is behind a stage and another is up a long flight of concrete steps. They have to stop teaching when it rains because the sound of the rain on the roof is deafening. They have no basic facilities for art or washing and basic toilets are shared by pupils and teachers alike. There are no sports facilities and there are totally inadequate recreation and play areas.

I tabled a parliamentary question today and I heard the usual litany in reply. The Minister said that "the project will continue through preparation of tender documents and an invitation to tender as soon as it is possible to do so under the expanded building programme". What does that mean? I do not want to hear a repeat of that tonight.

I want to put the situation plain and simple to the Minister of State. These good people were promised faithfully last year that they would be included in the capital programme for 2002. They have full planning permission, have acquired the site, which is ready, and all they now need is approval to go to tender. They were promised that but the promise has now turned to dust. I am being deliberately political when I say this: if the Fianna Fáil Party has any interest in maintaining votes in County Wexford it better reverse its position on this and the Minister better be here tonight to give a firm commitment to the people of Wexford and the pupils and parents, who worked so hard and were so patient, that their school will now go to tender.

Mr. O'Dea

I shall pass on Deputy Howlin's comments to the Fianna Fáil Party in Wexford.

At present, Scoil Charman has a principal, eight mainstream class teachers and a shared remedial teacher. The enrolment at 30 September 2001 was 221 pupils. The school is currently renting accommodation which is 95% funded by our Department. Our Department has recently purchased a site for a new school at a cost of 596,770. This is a clear indication of its commitment to proceeding with a permanent building. The major building project for Scoil Charman will proceed to preparation of tender documents and invitation of tenders as soon as possible.

Notwithstanding progress on the major building project, our Department has advised the board of management that it is prepared to put temporary accommodation on site as an interim measure, if for any reason the school has to vacate the premises it selected when granted permanent recognition.

Mr. Howlin

That is a total waste of money.

Mr. O'Dea

It is open to the board of management to take up this offer at any stage, in the interest of the children and teachers, if in its judgment the current facilities are unsatisfactory or unsafe.

Mr. U. Burke

There are two issues and we get the same statement.

Mr. O'Dea

The allocation for primary buildings in 2002 is 153.6 million.

Mr. U. Burke

We know that.

Mr. O'Dea

But the Deputy does not like hearing it because his own party's allocation was so paltry compared to what this Government has done.

Mr. Howlin

What good is that to the people of Wexford?

Mr. O'Dea

This is a record level of funding and demonstrates this Government's commitment to improving the accommodation situation in primary schools under the schools building programme. Our Department is fully committed to the provision of improved accommodation at Scoil Charman and I wish to thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity of stating this to the House.