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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 20 Mar 2002

Vol. 550 No. 4

Priority Questions. - Schools Building Projects.

Ulick Burke

Ceist:

35 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Education and Science when he will approve and fund the provision of a new national school for Killimor Ballinasloe, County Galway. [9184/02]

Architectural planning is currently under way in respect of a new building for Killimor national school, County Galway and the initial architectural submission prepared by the school's design team is being examined by the technical staff of my Department. In the meantime, the necessary site acquisition is being advanced at a local level.

The proposed new school is part of the Government's expanded school building programme and will continue to the preparation of tender documents and the invitation of tenders as quickly as possible. At this early stage it is not possible to say when construction will commence. However, every effort will be made to ensure that there are no avoidable delays in the process.

Is the Minister aware that this project has been on hand for eight years? If he is telling me that it is currently being examined, that is synonymous with what the Minister has been doing for the past three years, which is nothing. Projects like this one have been left in stalemate. Is the Minister aware that of the total enrolment of 127 in this rural national school, some 17 are Traveller children? An additional 11 children have special needs, yet the resource teacher has to teach in a converted shed. Hygiene and sanitary facilities are basic or worse. Is it the Minister's intention to continue to allow these children to be additionally disadvantaged due to his inaction while he uses jargon that is worn to a thread? The Department has not properly financed such projects throughout this country and particularly in County Galway.

The Deputy had his usual shouting and roaring session today and talked about eight years ago.

I am not shouting and roaring.

The Deputy is going into the period of the last Government. There were difficulties earlier because rather than an extension, it was decided it would be better to build a new school. That was one of the factors that arose over the years. To come back to where we are at the moment, however, a stage one, two and three submission prepared by the school's external design team was received by the building unit of my Department on 24 December 2001. There is no point in talking nonsense. The Deputy is trying to denigrate the Department's building unit, not to mention me.

The Minister is the problem.

The Deputy's party spokesperson said some rough words about the Department's building unit. In any event, that submission was only received by the unit on 24 December.

It was sent to the Department on 6 November.

It was received in the Department on 24 December. The Deputy is now disagreeing with the public servants.

I am telling Deputy Burke it was received on Christmas Eve and I do not know how many people were working on it on that date.

I do not know who was there to receive it.

I was there but I do not think there were too many others. The project for a new school is recognised as being an important one and will continue to make progress through its different stages.

Will the Minister publish the national database for all schools so that we can see where this project stands? The site has been acquired and everything is awaiting the Minister's approval.

The project has been approved and is under way. The architects are working on it and the school's design team has only recently submitted the combined stages one, two and three, instead of taking them separately.

What about design and build?

They have made it more efficient by taking the combined stages.

So the Minister is not approving it?

The project is being examined and, as soon as it is ready, I will certainly give it the go ahead.

After eight years.

It only came in last December.

Acting Chairman

As Deputy Farrelly is not present for Question No. 36, we will move on to Question No. 37.

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