Loreto secondary school in Balbriggan has an existing population of 1,025 students. At this stage the parents of 50 children have been informed by the school authorities that their applications for the enrolment of their daughters in the school in September 2004 have been unsuccessful and that they have been put on a waiting list. Some 550 of the students can be accommodated in suitable permanent accommodation within the school complex. A further 350 are accommodated in prefabs and portable free standing classrooms, which were provided as far back as 1994 and 1997, respectively, in a temporary capacity to ease the overcrowding problem that existed even at that stage. The balance of the students are taught in Marian House, which is a remnant of the old Loreto Convent. This building is more than 100 years old and is grossly inadequate for the education of the students.
On 13 June 2002, a high level meeting took place at which the principal, the board of management and senior officials from the Department attended. The purpose of the meeting was to agree a programme for the submission of stage documents for the extension of Loreto secondary school. At the meeting the Department officials gave instructions to the school authorities and the design team to prepare and submit stage one documentation for the planning process for a new school. It was also agreed that if the documentation was in order permission would be given to proceed to stage two. It was envisaged that stage two documentation would be submitted in November 2002 and permission for stage three would be granted in January 2003. It was also outlined that the construction period would be approximately 14 to 16 months and it was hoped that the new school would be available in September 2005. The school proceeded accordingly in good faith.
The members of the board of management and the teachers are reasonable, perhaps too reasonable, as they took on face value the promises made by Fianna Fáil prior to the last general election in respect of its commitment to provide a new school. Since the cutback in the new school building programme announced by the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, earlier in the year, the board of management accepted that the original timescale would not be met. Notwithstanding this, its members expected that the 2004 building programme would give them the go ahead to proceed to the advanced architectural planning stage, which would facilitate builders being on site in 2005.
The parents, students, teachers and board of management will be astounded that once again their school has been passed over in the 2004 school building programme published today. The programme indicates that in respect of Loreto secondary school, the extension will be at early architectural planning stage post 2004, whatever that means. This statement is an outrageous attack on the people of Balbriggan and the wider catchment area of the school, including Malahide, Donabate, Portrane, Lusk, Skerries and Rush. These are the areas from which parents have applied for the enrolment of their children in the school. The admission in the programme is particularly repulsive given the shortage of places for second level education in Fingal, especially for a single sex education. Furthermore, it is a disturbing development in view of the fact that Balbriggan is currently experiencing a building boom as a result of which its population will grow threefold to 30,000 in the next eight years. Some parents have moved into the area and are seeking second level education for their daughters.
As a Deputy representing the area, I cannot accept the Minister's continued neglect of Loreto secondary school. The least that must be done is for authorisation to be given to the school to enable the planning stages to progress in 2004. It seems it would not involve any excess cost to the Department to enable the school to proceed through the various stages towards the end of 2004.
The current position is unacceptable and it must be reviewed and reassessed. The board of management, teachers and parents have worked tirelessly to ensure the best possible education is provided for the students. Fantastic education is currently provided in the school facilities. The board of management, teachers and parents proceeded on the basis of the understanding they received, but they were let down. I hope the Minister of State's reply will go some way towards meeting their objectives.
