Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

I have tabled this question as I have long been an advocate of multiuse school buildings. I want to get an update from the Minister on a response I received from the Department on how to repurpose the design of buildings so they can be used in a safe way so we can educate schoolchildren and have a creche on one side, a meeting room for community events later and enough space for full-sized pitches that can be used during the day for organisations such as Cumann na mBunscoil and at night by the community. That is one aspect of the issue I raised.

Specifically, as I received a query from Holy Family Community School in Rathcoole, I submitted a parliamentary question asking the Minister for Education and Youth the reason hand dryers were not installed in the school. This relates to some of the design criteria with regard to their long-term cost savings and environmental benefits. The reply stated that the project brief for the major project at Holy Family Community School was to demolish the school and construct a three-storey 1,000 pupil building with a special educational needs unit and a PE hall. The Department's school design guide SDG 02-06 Sanitary Facilities states that the provision for hand-drying facilities shall be paper towels or cotton or linen towels and that electric hand dryers are not permitted. It states that the sanitary facilities should have adequate space for disposable hand towel dispensers and a refuse bin for the disposal of paper towels. I would like to know why, given the environmental benefits of hand driers. I know there have been suggestions that when machines are used in a high turnover environment, there is more risk of airborne infection but I would be grateful for a reply.

Given that we are talking about the Rathcoole and Saggart area - this is not for the Minister of State to comment on unless he so wishes but it is past midnight and I hope things have quietened down - I want to put on record my absolute disgust at what took place in Citywest tonight. I have been raising issues on behalf of residents who have genuine concerns about the purchase by the State of the Citywest Hotel complex and its long-term use, the lack of security, the lack of Garda numbers in the community, reports of people hanging around smoking and taking drugs in the vicinity of schools and all of the genuine concerns that ordinary decent residents have expressed. I am with them 100%.

There was a so-called peaceful protest organised tonight, which I am sure many of the locals thought was going to be peaceful. It turned into stones been thrown at gardaí, horses being ridden at gardaí, fireworks being shot at gardaí and the barriers being thrown at gardaí. Full credit is due to the members of An Garda Síochána for trying to keep the peace. The people purporting to be there in solidarity with the poor girl who was subject to the horrendous attack I referenced earlier today had no thoughts whatsoever for the many young children in the Citywest Hotel complex, who would have been scared for their lives with what went on. Anyone who is using an alleged but atrocious attack on a young child to further a hateful agenda needs to be condemned absolutely. This is to reiterate I have continued to support the residents in their genuine concerns. I wanted to put this on record because of what happened tonight. It was appalling. I ask the Minister of State to refer to the issue at hand on the policy regarding multiuse school buildings and hand dryers.

See this speech in context