Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)

There is an ongoing issue at St. Eunan's College. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Coghlan, is very well aware of it and her predecessor, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, met the previous principal a couple of years ago. The matter is very much on the Government's table and I want to put on the record that as a result of Opposition pressure the Government is standing up with open ears. However, while listening is an important aspect of any process, delivery is the most important.

St. Eunan's College has capacity for 500 students but 900 boys study there with an additional seven rented prefabricated classrooms. There is an obvious question mark over this rental, in terms of taxpayers' interest in value for money. A total of 900 boys study at the college, 115 of whom will sit their leaving certificate examinations in June. The number of boys enrolled for next September is 180 and there is a capacity issue, as the declarations of interest that a further 180 boys will enroll in September 2011 puts much pressure on a college that already finds it difficult to pass health and safety aspects, never mind accommodating the need that exists.

The college is in a demographic area designated as 1.1, an area of rapid expansion. The 2006 census showed the population of the wider Letterkenny area increased in size by 89%. The project is at planning stage 2(a), which was submitted to the Department of Education and Skills at the beginning of April. Questions relating to the overall cost of the project are with McGinley, Doherty & Deery Architects.

While the prefabs ease the pressure for academic needs, they do not meet the practical learning, extra-curricular, sanitary and health and safety needs. The school has insufficient science labs, toilets and canteen areas and the stairs and corridors are too narrow for 900 boys and a large staff. The role of the Minister and the Government is facilitation and in this instance, this means allowing students learn and teachers teach. Teachers cannot teach in the current environment and students are being held back.

In November 2009, the then Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, stated that in light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the Department it would not be possible to give an indicative timeframe for the delivery of the project. The school and its community understand that a process involving various stages of planning permission, tendering and construction will take time. We do not expect the school to be built by September but we need an indicative timeframe from the Minister on when it will be built. Will it take two or three years? The school, the board of management, the teachers and the principal are owed that information to make their management decisions and preparations.

We have to be careful because an announcement on further prefabs has been made. This cannot be used as a short-term measure. The only reason the school has to get these prefabs is because of health and safety concerns. They should not be used as a filibuster in the short term. We need to consider the medium to long term.

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