David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)

The Acting Chairman's pronunciation is excellent as always. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this matter. While I have great respect for the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, I am disappointed that one of the many Ministers of State at the Department of Education and Science could not be present. I am sure Deputy Kitt will do an adequate job of reading out a reply.

I speak on behalf of the people in the community around Leamlara national school. It is a small community in east Cork that had a public meeting this week. Oireachtas Members were invited to attend and I gave a commitment to bring this matter to the attention of the Minister. The school has an urgent accommodation need. It is a close-knit, model community but there is a problem with the school. There are six permanent teachers, four mainstream and two full-time, but there are only three mainstream classrooms. They must use a general purpose room, which was used for physical education but that can no longer be taught in the entire school. This is contrary to the Department of Education and Science curriculum guidelines. There are no toilets in that room and children must go unsupervised down a corridor to go to the toilet. This is contrary to the board of management safety policy. There is no water in the general purpose room.

The frightening aspect is the amount of building in the area in the past few years. Just behind the school, a new housing estate was built. The number of children appearing in the estate has increased by quite an amount. The current enrolment in junior infants is 11 this year but in a few years' time it will be 25 and is due to grow further. Already the school is under ferocious pressure. The school has said that its accommodation needs are current, urgent and merit a significantly higher band rating than 2.4. I cannot understand why it is rated as 2.4 but the Minister of State might tell me. Significant goodwill exists locally and the community is willing to provide voluntary skilled labour to build the school if the Department will supply the material. The school wants a meeting with the Department officials to see what can be worked out.

The school representatives are willing to meet the Department more than halfway in order to provide accommodation for the children. One parent told me that her child looks out the window every day to see if it is fine. This is the only way they can go out to play or have physical education because the physical education room is gone. This situation is replicated all over the country but I am here on behalf of these children, parents and this community. I am anxious that the Minister of State relays this request to the Department of Education and Science and arranges a meeting between officials and the local community and the board of management to see what can be done urgently.

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