Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

Ar dtús báire, ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil le oifig an Chinn Comhairle agus leis an Cathaoirleach as cead a thabhairt dom an cheist thábhachtach áitiúil seo a ardú. I welcome the former Minister for Education and Science and congratulate him on his new posting. St. Joseph's secondary school in Rush, as the Minister will know from his previous portfolio, was built to have a capacity of 450. It now depends on three additional prefabs to a large extent. The width of the corridors is very narrow given that it will have 591 students next September. It has had a growth rate of 35.6% over the past five years. Frank Murray from the Department of Education and Skills certainly knows all about this. The whole-school evaluation that was completed in recent months makes it clear that not only is it the only second level school in Rush, County Dublin, but also that the school student numbers have grown significantly in recent years and the school now caters for more than 500 students from the environs of Rush and beyond. There is a large cohort of students with English as an additional language attending the school. The school is designated in the local area plan to grow to 1,000 students. Things are moving on quickly and it comes back to when we can get the technical assessment and a commitment to build the new school.

The Department's evaluation states that the school is at maximum capacity at present, has limited room for expansion and three prefabricated buildings have been hired to accommodate classrooms. In addition, the canteen also serves as a PE hall and there are no playing pitches in the immediate environs of the school, which makes facilitation of PE a challenge - that is one word for it. One third of all students commented negatively on the facilities in the school. It is amazing that the school has such good morale and such an excellent whole-school evaluation on the basis of that reality.

I would like that the correspondence I have had over several years might tonight at least come to some conclusion as to where we are going. When I wrote to the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe's, predecessor in the Department of Education and Science, the Minister, Deputy Hanafin, seeking her assistance in having the technical assessment into St. Joseph's secondary school carried out, I mentioned that she would be aware that the site of the school is inadequate for any expansion to take place. That has been acknowledged by the Department of Education and Skills in the document Area Development Plan for North Dublin by the Commission on School Accommodation. The school has gained temporary additional classroom space by installing Portakabin buildings adjacent to the existing school building. Although these have been in place for a long time now, this is a temporary measure to address the local needs and accommodate students from Rush and also Lusk which does not yet have a secondary school and is depending on Rush to a large extent. Many students from Donabate - even though it has a new school - depend on St. Joseph's.

I mentioned to the Minister's predecessor that a meeting had taken place between the principal, the community department of Fingal County Council director of services Senan Turnbull and the former councillor, my Green Party colleague, Joe Corr. The council is broadly supportive of the relocation of the school and has already suggested a preferred location. However, Mr. Turnbull is limited in what he can do to facilitate negotiations for a land swap owing to the absence of a technical assessment report from the Department of Education and Skills.

I got a reply indicating that my concerns had been noted and that my correspondence had been sent to the developing area section of the Department for attention. I waited and waited. I then had to write to the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, when he was appointed to the Department of Education and Science. I congratulated him on his appointment as I congratulate him again on his appointment as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. Again, I was asking for that technical assessment for St. Joseph's secondary school back in 2008. I reiterated many of the same points I had indicated to the Minister, Deputy Hanafin. I got a reply stating that inquiries were being made about the matter and that a further letter would issue as soon as possible. I wrote again when I did not hear back. I received a reply that the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, would be in further contact with me.

I wish to put on the record that while we are waiting, the school is bursting at the seams. It is not fair on the principal, staff and students to be left even though a site has been earmarked beside St. Maur's GAA complex. There is the Kenure local area plan. Fingal County Council is good at co-operating with the Department on shared community facilities for community gain and is willing to play ball again if the Department will do likewise.

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