John Cregan (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)

I am pleased to have the opportunity to raise the issue of the need to provide funding for the provision of a replacement playground at St. James's national school, Cappagh, County Limerick. Like many other schools in my constituency, St. James's national school applied for funding under the summer works scheme for the replacement of its original playground but this application was unsuccessful. An appeal is ongoing and I raise this matter with the Minister and her officials in the hope that the appeal will be successful.

The summer works scheme is a very practical scheme which has been beneficial to many schools throughout the country and throughout the constituency of Limerick West. I fully understand that due to the volume of applications received in the Department, priority must be given to necessary works such as roof repairs or replacement, windows and doors replacement, the upgrading of heating systems, electrical works and the upgrading of toilets.

Many schools have qualified under the terms of the scheme this year and will see work carried out during the summer months. It is important to recognise the practical nature of the scheme. Applications are invited and approvals are announced in the month of January. The approved applications go to tender and the work can be successfully carried out during the summer holidays between June and September. This cuts down on bureaucracy and red tape. Practical and sensible contracts are signed on the ground and works are completed quickly.

I understand the Minister was in a position this year to approve applications on categories 1 to 9. This is commendable and I praise the Minister for what she has done. Category 10 specifically refers to external works and such applications would this year have cost in the region of €20 million. It may be the case that some of those applications for external works were not regarded as priorities but I wish to make a strong case for St. James's national school in Cappagh to ensure that its 103 pupils have a play area. A fine new building was built on the site of the playground. The school is not asking for an enhanced playground with white lines for basketball courts; it is simply asking for a basic hardcourt area costing in the region of €50,000.

It might be suggested that the local people should raise this money but there is a good reason this is not possible. Under the devolved grant scheme, the building of the school or the extension is left in the hands of the board of management and the staff of the school and this has worked very successfully in the case of St. James's school in Cappagh. During the course of that building, those parents in a small rural parish in west Limerick raised in excess of €50,000 to add to the grant they had received. It is not a question of asking the same people to raise additional funding for the playground.

The issue of replacement of the playground may have been lost in the application. I wish to emphasise that these children do not have a playground and they need a replacement playground. I understand the large volume of applications under category 10 for external works. I know of two applications from my constituency involving Ahalin primary school and Ballyhahil primary school, where the parents' councils, boards of management and the teaching staff have prioritised their applications on the basis of health and safety considerations. Departmental officials may have had good reasons for not considering the parking and health and safety considerations but it is now time to recognise that category 10 contains some genuine applications such as those I have referred to. The playground in Cappagh is very necessary, and parking facilities, safer access, dropping-off points and bus bays have all become very important areas of consideration for these local schools.

I appeal to the Minister that those schools be given favourable consideration in the appeals process and that there will be a favourable response to our requests.

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