Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to raise this very important issue in the parish of Herbertstown. On behalf of the board of management, principal and staff of Herbertstown national school I ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills to sanction a devolved grant to enable the board of management to build an additional classroom, learning support room, general purpose room, staff room and office. This will enable the school to deal with the planned expansion in its number of pupils.

It is a rural school that was built in 1943. It has three classrooms and a prefabricated section which is 20 years old. It is divided into three sections. One is used by the day resource teacher, one by the learning support teacher and the other as a library and storage facility. While the boys have a cloakroom, the girls must use the corridor for their coats, sporting gear, bags, shoes and other personal effects because the original girls' cloakroom is used as an office. It has been converted to facilitate photocopying, filing cabinets and other office equipment. The room also stores art and crafts supplies, mathematics equipment and other teaching supports. It is unsuitable for storing confidential files and reports.

The school enrolment in September 2009 was 70 pupils. It has applications to enrol 82 pupils for September 2010. These numbers will entitle the school to an extra mainstream teacher for 2011. There are still more enrolment forms outstanding so it is possible that the extra mainstream teacher may be appointed in September 2010. As well as an increase in the pupils numbers, there is enrolment for a junior infant pupil with autism in September 2010. The school will apply, therefore, for a full-time support resource officer, which will create a need for a new staff room and toilet facilities to accommodate the extra staff. There is no accommodation for the new mainstream teacher or a full-time learning support resource teacher. The school has no indoor facilities for physical education for the children and, with the present emphasis on PE in the new curriculum, this is not acceptable and is unfair on the children.

I commend the board of management, principal and staff on their excellent educational facilities in the current conditions. Pressure will come with the expansion of numbers and needs of the school. Will the Tánaiste sanction a devolved grant to enable the board of management to build an additional classroom, learning support room, general purpose room, staff room and office? An adequate site is available on the school grounds to facilitate this development, so no site purchase is necessary. I urge the Minister to take our proposal seriously.

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