Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas le Páirtí an Lucht Oibre as an rún seo a chur síos tráthnóna. Ardaím an cheist seo leis an Aire. Níl sí anseo ag an bpointe seo ach d’ardaigh mé léi é an tseachtain seo atá imithe thart. Tá 58 scoil curtha ar athló anois. Tá siad á gcur ar an méar fhada. Níl a fhios acu cén uair a thosóidh siad nó an dtosóidh siad. Tá litreacha nó ríomhphoist á seoladh amach acu atá ag cur achan rud bunoscionn. Tá cuid de na scoileanna sin - mar a dúirt mo chomhghleacaí anseo as Dún na nGall, an Teachta Pádraig Mac Lochlainn - lonnaithe inár gcontae féin in nDún na Gall. Labhair an Teachta Mac Lochlainn fadúda cúpla ceann de na scoileanna sin agus ba mhaith liom cuid eile a lua. Tá sé ráite sna meáin inár gcontae féin go bhfuil 16 de na scoileanna seo ar an méar fhada mar gheall ar an gcinneadh atá glactha ag an Rialtas.

It has been stated in the media that there are 16 schools in County Donegal affected by the Government's decision to pause these school building projects. Basically, the Government has thrown matters into disarray and no one knows when the projects will proceed. On previous occasions, I raised the matter of my local school, Scoil Chonaill, Bun Beag, which my children attended. There is an autism unit in the school. The school requires an extension. An extension has been approved but the project has been thrown into disarray. There is no clarity from the Department or the Minister with regard to what is happening.

Some of my colleagues referred to another school, namely, Gaelscoil na gCeithre Máistrí. I spoke to the principal of the school, several teachers and some of the parents who will be campaigning about this matter at the weekend. It has been 24 years. Imagine how terrible that is, going through your whole education system and teachers obliged to teach classes in prefabs day in and day out. There are a few blocks holding up the prefabs, but there are no blocks on the site. There is no school and no permanent building. It is prefab after prefab. The young kids point out the damp in the roof and the walls and on materials. The school finally got on the school building programme in 2016. It was allowed to proceed with getting a contractor appointed. A tender was approved 180 days ago. The tender lasts for 180 days and it is now up, which means the contractor can re-tender at a higher price as a result of inflation. The school has been waiting 24 years for a new building. It has been left in limbo by the Government. The Government should do the teachers, students and school community the courtesy of letting this and other projects go ahead. We know the schools will be built, the only question is when. The longer construction is delayed, the more these projects will cost.

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