Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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There has been enormous consternation and devastation in the local community for the past two weeks. Notwithstanding efforts by the Government and the officials of the Department, we have total disruption in two fine schools where the teachers are completely dedicated to the children. I was there again yesterday viewing the temporary works. These were lovely schools and they are now surrounded by very ugly scaffolding that I assume will be boxed off for the safety of the children because otherwise it would be quite dangerous. What were beautiful buildings in terms of appearance and experience, notwithstanding snag lists, will only be in partial use. How long does the Minister expect the partial use of the ground floors to continue? Does he have an estimate of when St. Luke's national school and Tyrrelstown Educate Together will reopen? When it was announced two weeks ago, I was speaking to teachers with tears in their eyes because they were so devastated at the disruption. Does the Minister have a plan as to how to put in place a full recovery and compensation for the schools so they will be able to catch up with what they have missed?

Has the Minister considered initiating an inquiry into what exactly happened, perhaps involving somebody from a buildings background, whether an architect or a structural engineer, and perhaps a senior barrister? We spend a great deal on schools. These buildings were constructed in lovely communities in Tyrrelstown and Hollystown, which have great pride in the two schools. I want the Minister to be aware of this because some of the media commentary has not acknowledged how great these two schools, their staff, the parents and the entire communities have been. There will have to be an inquiry. Will the Minister commit to one? There are all sorts of rumours circulating. Some people say that it was spotted because of fire safety issues following the examinations ordered after the Grenfell Tower fire. Will the Minister enlighten us on this?

Is the Minister aware that the two schools and the community centre between provide early education and after-school care services? In a huge number of cases in the area, one or both parents in families work. They have been left in a considerable state of disruption regarding their arrangements for after-school care whereby they are relying on their employers to be kind and to take what has happened into account. They may have one child going to school and a toddler going to the preschool under the early childhood care and education scheme.

Will the Minister give us an indication of what will be the cost of the remedial works? Has he considered asking by the end of the year for a special allocation from the Government through a Supplementary Estimate to meet the cost of these works?

From my experience, I believe a Supplementary Estimate will be necessary. Without it, the Minister will delay further what had become a quite delayed schools building programme during the tenure of his predecessor. The whole process has slowed down. For instance, in my area a new community college that opened just last year, Edmund Rice College, is hosted by the neighbouring school, Le Chéile. We have no idea where it will find its permanent home. Very little information is being provided to the large community in Dublin 15. The large number of children there are totally dependent on quality education and quality teachers. The teachers in the area are fabulous but the Minister needs to commit in a positive way to giving considerable reassurance to them and the community. These teachers are skilled educators who are totally committed to the children. Can the Minister make it clear that everything they have lost will be made up for and that he will be seeking a Supplementary Estimate in order that the rest of the schools building programme, not only in Dublin West but also throughout Ireland, may be continued? We are all aware of projects in our constituencies.

Either before or after he has commissioned a report, can the Minister state, from the Department's point of view, what is involved technically in standing down a particular contractor where there have been problems as serious as those in question? Does it ultimately have to go to court? Is the Minister or Department in a position to make executive decisions on the really serious questions that have arisen regarding some of the works carried out by the builders in question?