Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

The two schools to which this Topical Issue relates are in the Dublin West area, which has a particular shortage of schools. This crisis has lasted for over a decade. The population of this area has increased significantly over the past 15 years. A substantial number of houses were built in the area during the building boom, but schools and other necessary facilities did not follow. The local community is still paying the price for that. Nine or ten years ago, the then Government promised two schools in the area, St. Mochta's national school in Clonsilla and St. Patrick's junior national school in Corduff, that they would get new school buildings. Those promises were subsequently restated by the Government. Nine years on, there is no sign of those buildings. The children are being taught in Third World conditions, in essence, with leaking roofs, poor lighting and cold working conditions.

In 2006, the authorities at St. Mochta's national school in Clonsilla were approached by the Department of Education and Science and asked to take on an extra stream in each year. The school did not move from three streams to four streams per year of its own volition but because it was asked by the Department to do so. This meant that the number of children in the school increased by more than 240. The school's board of management, having been promised that the school would be fast-tracked through a building and development programme, agreed in very good faith to take these extra children on that basis. There are 16 classrooms in an old school building that needs to be replaced and a further 16 classes in prefabs outside. It is absolutely disgraceful that 884 children are being taught in such conditions. It is an absolutely giant primary school, by any standards. I do not want the Minister of State, Deputy English, to spend his time telling me about how the school can apply for emergency works or summer works to deal with leaking roofs, etc. We have received such answers in written form. The school authorities want to know whether the school will be on the list next week, after nine years of being promised a new school building. That is all they want to know. I hope the Minister of State will focus on that when he responds. The school has had minor works. It has been declined emergency works on occasion. Those involved with the school want to know whether it will be on the list. They want to be able to bring the school together at some point, rather than having to stagger breaks and get-togethers, etc.

The Department said eight years ago that the second school I am raising, St. Patrick's national school in Corduff, was beyond repair and was no longer fit for people to be taught in.

The Department also said it was more economically viable to take the school down and build a new one. Safety should be the key priority, one would imagine. That school has also been told that it is at stage 2b and that everything is in order. However, it has not been given permission to go to the tendering stage and has not been put on the new list.

I wish to outline quickly what the children in that school are dealing with. The school has no insulation so from November until April the teachers and students sit with their coats on. This is in the recovering Ireland. The school spends all of its capitation grant on oil to heat the building and the school is constantly in the red. Electricians have said that the school is not safe, which is a health and safety issue. There are interactive whiteboards which cannot be used because the electrical system is not able for it. To add insult to injury, there are also sewerage problems and drainage companies have been on site continuously. Children and staff have to endure a continuous bad smell. Does the Minister of State believe that this is going on? I listened to the previous speaker talking about Dublin getting this, that and the other but we have two Government Ministers in Dublin West and this is the condition of schools in that area. They have not delivered a solitary thing for one of the fastest growing areas in the city. Corduff, by the way, is a disadvantaged area with sufficient problems already without putting children through this too.

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