Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for affording me the opportunity to raise this important matter. St. Joseph's secondary school in Tulla, County Clare, has had difficulties with its accommodation needs for over ten years. Various proposals have been put forward by the Department to resolve those difficulties. Some time ago, it was decided by the Department that an extension would be the most appropriate solution to resolve those accommodation needs. Given the population growth in the area and the very small site on which the school is currently housed, it is now clearly recognised that the needs of local children will not be addressed by an extension to the school. The Department should finally make a decision that the appropriate solution to this accommodation problem is a new school. I urge the Department to examine this matter in the context of work that is being done within the community. A community group called Tulla 2016 has been formed, which is working towards providing facilities in the town, including playing fields. An appropriate site has been identified which the Department has reviewed. Now is the time to invest in a school building in conjunction with the community group, thus ensuring a campus-style approach catering for all the needs of the community at the same site. There would be significant savings for the Department if it follows that route, so it should be considered in that context.

The school accommodation needs have to be addressed because during the exams earlier this year there was not enough room to accommodate the various exam centres that were required, including separate centres for children with special needs. The school has an excellent special needs programme, which was developed by the previous principal, Jim Cooney, and has been continued by the current principal, Margaret O'Brien. Those two principals have put an enormous amount of work into developing the school for a student base that is growing in line with the town's population generally. It is now high time that we sought to resolve this matter.

The school accommodation issue has been reviewed by departmental representatives who said that the current accommodation is not fit for purpose. It is a exceptionally small site with no recreational area. More than half the schoolrooms are prefabricated and many are old and in poor condition.

Were it not for the principal, the board of management and the parents, the place would be falling down. They have put a tremendous amount of effort into maintaining this very poor facility. I have reasonable knowledge of schools throughout the country, and this one is in an exceptionally bad state.

The Department has identified the need to increase the priority rating of the school. Last Easter, the Minister moved it from a priority band rating of 2.4 to 1.2. I appeal to the Minister to ask the Department of Education and Skills to include the school in the next round of proposals and to allow it to proceed towards construction. I am aware that there are a number of steps in that process and that they take time. However, it is important that we get the school on that path and get away from the notion of trying to develop the existing site. Let us draw a line under that idea and put a plan in place for the delivery of a new school to meet the needs of the pupils in this area of growing population.

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