Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

Ar an gcéad dul síos ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an Aire Stáit as ucht a bheith anseo anocht chun an rún seo a fhreagairt. Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil chomh maith leis an mbord bainistíochta – na tuismitheoirí, na múinteoirí agus le foireann uilig na gaelscoile i gCluain Meala as ucht an tsár-oibre atá déanta acu le 23 mbliana anuas. Bunaíodh an Gaelscoil i gCluain Meala i 1994 agus fuair an scoil aitheantas sealadach ansin. In 1996 fuair an Gaelscoil aitheantas buan.

Gaelscoil Chluain Meala was founded in 1994 and received provisional approval in that year. Two years later, in 1996, it was granted permanent recognition by the Department but today, 23 years later, there is huge frustration in the school community because of the huge delay in progressing the building of a new school for Gaelscoil Chluain Meala. Progress has been tortuously slow over those years. The school is currently accommodated in an 1830 building which was used in more recent times by South Tipperary County Council as part of its engineering and stores offices; indeed, I worked there myself when I worked with South Tipperary County Council in both the stores section and the planning section. As it is very old, the building is totally unsuitable and not fit for purpose. Classrooms are overcrowded, playground space is extremely limited and toilet facilities are inadequate. There are no parking facilities and the building is damp and difficult to heat, with poor ventilation - the list goes on.

When the school was established in that building, it was thought that in a short number of years the school would be located in a new building but, as I said, progress has been tortuously slow. The school started with 45 pupils and two teachers whereas it now has 210 pupils and 11 teachers. It has been promised on a number of occasions that construction would start. For example, in November 2015 it was indicated that it was in the programme and that construction would commence in 2017 but that has not happened. The current situation, as I said, is that there are 210 students, 11 teachers, support staff, clerical staff, cleaning staff and caretaking staff in the school, as well as a naíonra. It is long past time that this school would be given approval and that construction would commence. We are aware the capital programme will be announced in the coming weeks. The school is asking for confirmation that the new school building will be funded in that capital programme and that construction will commence in 2018, as is urgently needed.

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