Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to raise this matter, which is of considerable importance in terms of the safety of the students attending Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar, and greatly concerns parents and the board of management of the school. Coláiste Mhuire is one of a number of secondary schools in Mullingar and my own alma mater. I remember attending the school in the late 1960s.

I appeal to the Minister for Education and Science to provide the funding to complete the entrance to the school, the work on which was begun at the request of her Department. The original vehicle entrance to the school passed through the primary school playground. Annual intake at the school was 110 pupils but increased this year to 130, with many more on the waiting list. Last year, a new extension was added to the school's already fine building. It is a tremendous educational establishment and, like the other schools in Mullingar, has achieved strong academic results for its students.

A new entrance is essential from a health and safety perspective. The original entrance through the playground was not a danger in the past when traffic was lighter and mostly pedestrian. Now, however, a significant volume of traffic passes through the entrance, which is located beside Mullingar cathedral and Garda station.

The school made two applications to the Department. It first applied under the emergency fund scheme but was told to apply under the summer works scheme. As soon as the school applied under the latter scheme, however, it was told that the Department had no more money. Talk about running around in circles. The essential issue of safety has not yet been addressed. A few minor accidents have occurred at the original entrance but, thankfully, none was serious.

The new extension to Coláiste Mhuire was opened with great fanfare by the Minister, an event I was delighted to attend as a former pupil of the school. After the opening of the extension, the school was advised to desist from using the original entrance and to construct a new entrance. Planning permission was received for the project and it was then put to tender. The lowest bid for the work was €160,000. However, funding under the summer works scheme for 2006 has been refused.

The principal, board of management, parents association and the pupils have asked me to intervene in this important matter and to help ensure that a safe entrance is constructed. All the school needs is €160,00 but, even if it were funded to the extent of €100,000, the parents association and board of management could raise the remaining funds.

This safety issue has caused great concern to everybody involved. I will not compare €160,000 with the vast sums wasted on other projects over recent years. In the context of our children's safety, €160,000 is a small figure. If an accident occurred involving one of the students because of the Department's failure to provide the funds to complete the entrance, what would we say? We have an opportunity at present to prevent an accident by completing the entrance to this excellent 600-pupil school. I urge the Minister to provide the necessary funds.

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