Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

My apologies, but I had to step out of the meeting earlier and missed what the witnesses said. The point I was making earlier to the schools representatives is that there is no plausible excuse for children being taught in substandard schools in this day and age. Obviously prefabs are a temporary solution in certain schools but the conditions the schools representatives were describing could not possibly comply with normal health and safety standards. If something tragic was to happen to a child, would everything be solved all of a sudden? I fear that is the case and that it might have to get to that point before the issue is taken seriously.

Are health and safety inspections carried out on temporary accommodation? Has the Department done an audit of the schools that are in a really dire state? Can those schools be prioritised? There is no point in the Department announcing the building of 42 new schools when so many existing schools are on a list, waiting. Let us deal with this issue first and then deal with new schools. The current situation is ridiculous.

A standard timeframe should apply in the context of new schools so that when a new school is announced, it is delivered within two or three years at most. Schools should not fall off the list or go into never-never land for 13 years or more. Common sense is needed here. The school representatives made some very good points earlier. They pointed out that we know what the population is going to be in an area and what the need for school places will be. It is not that the need for a new school arises suddenly and takes the Department by surprise. The issue must be taken more seriously. I would also make the point that issues relating to children do not seem to be on the radar for many Departments, unfortunately.