Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise the provision of a new community school in Ballinamore, County Leitrim. As the Minister of State is aware, this is a long-running saga. A new community school was promised in 2001. Five years later, parents, teachers and students are still waiting for it. The Minister of State will be aware of the particular difficulties faced by the pupils and teachers at Ballinamore. The post-primary school operates between three different sites and students are obliged to travel up to 1 km between classes. This is totally unacceptable and the community in Ballinamore is becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress. There are also serious health and safety concerns involved. Surely the pupils and teachers should not be obliged to put up with this situation any longer.

As already stated, the provision of a new school was sanctioned in 2001 prior to the last general election. In the interim, a full-year group of students have completed their entire secondary education in the unacceptable conditions to which I refer. Despite the fact that the Department of Education and Science predicted that a new school would open in 2003, the Ballinamore community school action group was this week obliged to launch a letter-writing campaign to highlight the delays in providing a new secondary school. One can imagine the frustration of the members of this group who, following a long campaign, are still in the position where they must write letters to the Minister for Education and Science. I am aware of the announcement last week that a possible site for a new school has been selected and that negotiations are under way. However, this has happened on several previous occasions. The community in Ballinamore needs a new school now and I ask that the Minister of State give a commitment that it will be provided within a specific timeframe.

I am also pleased to have the opportunity to raise the urgent need to provide a primary school at Dromore West, County Sligo. Parents of children who attend Dromore West central national school are extremely frustrated by the continuing delays. Plan after plan for their new school has been submitted and then rejected. The parents are also concerned about the terrible conditions that obtain in the school. These conditions continue to deteriorate. The Health and Safety Authority has already expressed a real concern regarding the hopelessly overcrowded conditions that the teachers and pupils must endure every day. Those conditions read like something from a Dickensian novel.

One teacher operates solo in the old church classroom. Staff members must boil a kettle to make a cup of tea in the classroom and, having finished their tea, they must wash the cup in the same hand basin in which they wash their hands. The so-called office of the school secretary is in a tiny girls' cloakroom and she has the pleasure of sharing this cubbyhole with the principal when she is involved in administrative duties. Recently a male teacher taught in the school and he did not even have the luxury of a toilet to use. How can any teacher or student be expected to spend his or her days in these conditions?

It is difficult to believe that, according to the statistics, Ireland is the second richest country in Europe. Many of my colleagues in the European Parliament look to Ireland as an example of economic success. There is not much sign of such success in Dromore West primary school. I am sure the Minister of State believes no teacher or student should have to endure these conditions. The parents, teachers and students need a new school, large enough to accommodate the expanding population of the village, for which 100 new houses are proposed. While the process is under way, the community wants a guarantee from the Minister that there will be no further delays or hold ups.

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