Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

On a number of occasions I have raised the issue of the future of Gaelscoil Barra in Cabra. This issue has been ongoing for the past 13 years and we are entering the 14th year in which this particular Irish school will be located in totally unsatisfactory prefabs. I will not rehearse the description of the circumstances but suffice it to say that in the elections of 1997, 2002 and 2007 the school was made promises which were never delivered and a member of the Government in a position of importance has been based in the constituency for all of this time. Thirteen years down the road, after the school has been shown to be viable, it is based in smelly outdated prefabs in weather like today's, with the toilets backing up and young children in damp smelly conditions.

The second full generation of children is going through the school. As far back as 2000, the Department of Education and Science commented on the prefabs, which had been in existence for only four years at that time. It stated that the deplorable state of the temporary accommodation made it imperative that the planning process be initiated as soon as possible. That was nine years ago and the planning process has not been initiated to date.

The problem, which has still not been overcome, is the provision of a suitable site. The Department went to the byways and highways - at least in theory - seeking a suitable site but did not find one. At present, the option of a suitable site on the site occupied by the prefab temporary school is being explored. These negotiations are taking place between the Department of Education and Science, the local GAA club - Naomh Fionnbarra - the school itself and Dublin City Council which has the lease on the area.

I understand that the proposal up for agreement is the site itself plus a portion of the roadside which has a green area public space. A technical assessment is being done, which as far as I can gather has been ongoing for the past three or four months with no solution or resolution appearing. There has been toing and froing with the Department of Education and Science, the local authority, the GAA and the board of management but the log-jam is still there and we do not have a site. The site has not been acquired and no agreement has been entered into, unless it has happened in the past couple of days.

We are facing into another election in 2009 with the school authorities pressing as much as they can to get the public representatives to resolve the matter, particularly the party in power. Regular meetings are being held, including one tonight. The Department of Education and Science has been invited to the meeting, as have the local authority and all public representatives. We hope to have some good news to announce to the weary parents and long-suffering children and staff of the school.

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