Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to raise this important issue once again. Commitments were given to provide a new national school at Kilfinane in County Limerick in the lead-up to both the 2002 and 2007 general elections. We were certain construction would commence following the election in 2007, but nothing has happened in the interim.

On 15 February 2001, the management board received a commitment in writing that approval had been granted for the "provision of a new school at the greenfield site". The then Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Woods, subsequently confirmed this was the case. On 4 January 2007, the management board was informed in writing that the school was "one of 54 schools that has been recently approved to proceed to tender and construction over the next 12 to 15 months".

The current school was built in 1840 as a church and was converted to a school in 1887. It was last refurbished after a fire in 1909. It has a current enrolment of 137 pupils, encompassing an annual increase in each of the last three years as a result of the increased population in the area. The toilets are located outside the main building, leading to problems with child safety and protection, potential bullying and discomfort and stress for staff who cannot supervise due to the extremely high windows which provide no visibility for students availing of toilet facilities.

In March 2005, the school had to be evacuated due to an infestation of rats. The school secretary operates from a stand-alone cubicle in the entrance hall, the resource teacher works in the store room and the learning support teacher provides remedial teaching in a cubicle in a shared classroom. Public access to the school is via a narrow back lane with serious road safety issues.

The building itself is very old. As I stated, it was built in the 1880s. It consists of six classrooms, a hall and a cloakroom. The classrooms are small — three of them are only 25 metres in area — and are divided by thin panels of timber and glass which are not soundproof. The windows are high and many cannot be opened for ventilation. The hall which is used for PE and dancing classes has been reduced in size to accommodate a much needed secretary's office. There is one more room in the building which is used as a library, a classroom for the learning support teacher, an office and a staff room. Anyone conscious of safety will be aware of the real danger this school presents if, God forbid, a fire occurs.

One of my main concerns is the location of the toilets. The children are forced to leave the security of the school building and cross a yard in all types of weather to go to the toilet. This practice is not acceptable in this day and age, neither is it ideal for children suffering from diabetes or asthma. Some children are genuinely nervous about going out to the toilet alone during class. Concern has been highlighted about the presence in the area last year of an undesirable individual known to have taken photographs of young girls. His actions have also demonstrated a good knowledge of the geography of the more secluded areas of the school, which is worrying. The parents need a more secure environment for their children.

Kilfinane national school is located in a residential area on a steep incline. The narrow road becomes dangerously congested at school delivery and collection times. It is impossible for a bus to undertake a school run owing to a lack of space. The parish of Kilfinane is rapidly expanding with the latest estate of houses due for completion in November 2008. As yet, no provision has been made to cater for the extra children who intend enrolling during the next few years. The school is a co-educational school with a current enrolment of 137 children. There are five teachers, a learning support teacher and a resource teacher who are dedicated to the education of their children. They are patient, kind and always have the best interests of the children at heart. Their task of teaching is a daily struggle for them and their pupils. They must contend with limited resources and an unacceptable noise level.

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