Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this issue for debate on the Adjournment. Urbleshanny national school is located near the growing village of Scotstown in the hinterland of north County Monaghan, which is part of the BMW region. Many planning applications have been lodged for developments in Scotstown and it is likely the population will continue to grow in the future. The baptismal records indicate the significant number of children of pre-school age in the area who will enter the school system shortly.

Urbleshanny national school is a success story in that pupil numbers have increased to 270 and continue to rise. Last September, the school was allocated an additional teacher to bring its complement to 12. This was a welcome development and indicative of the school's success. However, the regrettable aspect is that there was no classroom to accommodate the new teacher and some of the pupils. There were some good hedges close to the school but such a solution would not do.

The school management wrote to the Minister in hope, outlining the school's successful situation, the projected further increase in pupil numbers and the allocation of an additional teacher. The management hoped to receive some indication that an extension would be built to cater for its growing population. However, later in the year the bad news came from the Minister that there was regretfully no funding for this project but that the situation would be reviewed in 2005. This gave the school management some little hope and put it off the Department's case for a time.

However, the school was not included in the listings for 2005. The increasingly frustrated management then set about sourcing a portakabin as a temporary solution to the problem. The parents' committee duly collected the required funds for this short-term facility, which has no toilet, cloakroom, running water, either hot or cold, and no fire escape or emergency door. This is not the correct environment in which to attempt to educate children. It is unacceptable that such accommodation must be endured in this day and age. These types of adverse conditions are not beneficial for children and are likely to impede their development and education. Moreover, they undoubtedly have an adverse impact on the morale of teachers. Children quickly realise when a teacher is not firing on all cylinders.

It is better for teachers, pupils and schools in general when proper classroom conditions are in place. Pupils attend primary school for a finite period of eight years and those years can slip by very quickly. In many schools, pupils are receiving all their primary education in the type of portakabin I have described, with no heat, running water or cloakroom. This is unacceptable, particularly in communities where numbers are increasing.

I appeal to the Minister to examine this issue favourably and to consider the benefits of providing for an extension to the school in the next tranche of funding. Local people are optimistic that the case for the school, which has an excellent reputation, is worthwhile. The roll number for the school is 169230.

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