Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I was about to congratulate the Minister on her appointment but, as she has left the Chamber, I will do so another time. The Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, might pass on my congratulations.

I think there are issues related to this motion that have always been there but are now accepted because of Covid-19. If returning to school were a wound, the issue would be regarded as septic and would need a great deal of care not to end up fatal. The issues that we face are now recognised as many in number but similar in vein. The Government must decide on a formula to get the schools reopened as they have now been closed for in excess of 130 days, although I appreciate that it is no easy task. The types of issues vary but space is by far the biggest problem. I am a past pupil of Ramsgrange community school. I would have considered it a school that had few issues but that is not the case. The numbers in the school have grown from 320 to just over 500 in seven years. Representatives of the school have been requesting an extension for some five years and received news last year that extension funding was granted but, most unfortunately, they will fall at the first planning hurdle because of Irish Water. That is another hindrance to any progress trying to be made across the country, whether for schools or otherwise, due to the fact that there is no funding structure and Irish Water has no current funds. This is the reason for a halted expansion to a new water treatment plant for the area that serves the environs of Ramsgrange community school. That project is expected to be on the long finger for at least a year.

Another wonderful school in my constituency is Kilrane national school in Rosslare. Some 330 pupils will start back to school in late August or early September. This school has a wonderful new three-room autism unit which is great to see. Kilrane was one of the few facilities that ran a summer provision course in full this year. The school was more than willing to provide its autism rooms to outside groups of parents who were desperate to use the facilities for their children who have received no services during the pandemic but was prevented from doing so because of insurance issues. That is a real shame and a missed opportunity for those most in need and the only obstacle was the unavailability of insurance.

Kilrane national school will face a particular problem because it has no communal area or physical education hall. In order to comply with social distancing guidelines, all they can rely on is the new autism unit. I hope that is a situation the Department can remedy in real time for the benefit of the 330 children currently in the school and for the children who will attend Kilrane in the future. I expect that Rosslare will grow exponentially post Brexit for various reasons.

There is every reason we should prepare our school for that growth. Now is the time to do so.

There are similar issues in New Ross CBS. The school has no PE hall or community area, despite having just short of 400 pupils. The numbers are rising year-on-year and pupils deserve the same facilities as other schools in the town. Just under half of the pupils in Coláiste Bhríde in Carnew come from the greater Gorey area of north County Wexford. When I visited it before the pandemic, it was based in a very old building with classrooms that are no longer fit for purpose. Its classrooms are overcrowded, which is the norm in other schools. What is not the norm is the size of the classrooms in the school. One class will now most likely be divided into three. The school does not have the room or teachers to do this. I regret to say that none of the schools I have mentioned will be able to reopen in September without increased supports and assistance.

The schools I have mentioned are only a sample. I am optimistic about the roadmap for schools and there has been praise for the Department from all of those to whom I have spoken today and over recent times. They welcome the supports, but that is tongue-in-cheek because they are overdue. I think that is what is called an Irish thank you. There has also been some criticism. People have said that some of the information could have been delivered sooner to allow schools to be able to access tradespeople to reconfigure their schools. They are not in plentiful supply due to the amount of reconfiguration taking place in all sectors. I would expect that the procurement process has been alleviated for school principals as that is an important factor in being able to get work carried out.

I fully appreciate that the Minister has made a decision and, right or wrong, she will always face criticism. I hope that the problems will be few and far between and that everyone's agenda is to get children, who have not attended school for 130 days, back to school, along with ensuring teachers and all staff working in schools are in as safe an environment as possible.

School transport is an issue. Many of my constituents have complained that they have yet to receive refunds for school transport. I would appreciate if credit notes were issued to those parents who are now being asked to pay in full for school transport by 31 July. I thank the Department officials who contacted me today to say that the deadline has been extended to 4 August. I ask the Minister, in these unprecedented times, to make sure that refunds are provided by that date.

I will not patronise the Minister because she is a teacher and will of course be only too aware of all of the problems I have mentioned. I wish to highlight that after reopening, those issues will still exist. I will take this opportunity to thank the staff in her Department. I have no doubt that they have all been under serious pressure, given the leaving certificate, colleges and everything else that comes within their remit, no more than students, teachers and the public they serve.

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