Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

I regret the Minister of State in the Department of Education and Science, Deputy Haughey, is not present as he has a unique insight into Mount Temple Comprehensive School which is located in the constituency he and I represent. Without wishing to denigrate the presence of the Minister of State, Deputy Wallace, I hope she will convey to the Minister my concerns about the school in question.

Mount Temple Comprehensive School is a unique school on the north side of Dublin. While it emerged from the Protestant tradition, it has always been much more than this, having fostered a broad pupil mix from the outset. Members will be aware of the famous book by Christopher Nolan entitled, Under the Eye of the Clock. Mr. Nolan, who was severely disabled, achieved tremendous things and the eye of the clock of the title refers to the clock tower in Mount Temple school where he was educated. The school has always reached out to children with special needs and children who need a different type of education. It is unashamedly different in its approach to providing education, for which it should be cherished and valued.

Places in Mount Temple Comprehensive School are in huge demand, with three children waiting for every place. Built originally to accommodate 450 pupils, the school currently has 850 students. This expansion has only been possible by pressing into service preserved old buildings such as the manor house and using prefabricated buildings. The school consists of a patchwork of seven buildings, none of which even remotely reaches acceptable standards in energy efficiency or in terms of the type of building one expects in a modern school.

The tragedy in this case is that the school has been trapped for eight years in the labyrinth of the Department's building pipeline. I defy anyone to explain to me how this pipeline works. The Acting Chairman, Deputy Wall, may have experienced this process but it is the most mystifying system I have come across. It appears to be designed to hand-trip schools which are making honest endeavours to provide for pupils rather than to facilitate the progression of building projects which have been recognised as needed.

Several years ago, the Department acknowledged that the school needed to be completely rebuilt. The school is located on an exceptional, wonderful and large site in the heart of the city. With its preserved buildings and additional features, it is a unique asset which should be developed. It is particularly galling for the school to see the charmed approach the Department has taken to a squash facility with a small membership which happened to be built on the same land as the school and has, over the past 15 years, probably received €1 million in support to keep it going. Meanwhile, a school with 850 pupils is struggling to survive.

What are the next steps in the building project? What timeframe can one reasonably expect for completion of each phase? Is it a question of waiting for cash approval to enable projects to be released like a flood and inform us where we stand? The process is frustrating for schools. In this case, the school has committed to fund the statutory process and provide €1.5 million towards the cost of the new building. There is major commitment behind the school, which is a unique educational facility. As well as the traditional Protestant schools, all the Educate Together schools in the local area feed into Mount Temple. Its special worth should be recognised by the Department.

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