Vol. 548 No. 4
238 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason he will not meet a delegation from Cahergal national school, Tuam, County Galway, to consider the gross overcrowding in the school and to discuss its request for a new school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5240/02]
The allocation for primary buildings in 2002 is €153.6 million, which is a record level of funding and demonstrates this Government's commitment to improving the accommodation situation in primary schools. This is almost four times the previous Government's investment in 1997. Greatly increased level of activity in the primary buildings area, since this Government came into office, means that there has been a substantial increase in the number of major and minor building projects in construction and this has given rise to a record level of building and refurbishment activity. A proposed building project for Cahergal national school will proceed to architectural planning and to the preparation of tender documents, as soon as possible, under the expanded building programme.
Notwithstanding this, officials from my Department met the board of management on 17 January 2002 and advised that it is prepared to approve interim measures to address urgent health and safety issues at the school, including additional temporary accommodation to alleviate the shortage of classroom space. 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.
