Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise an important issue on the conditions for teachers and students at Kilfinane national school, County Limerick. I have been raising this issue for the past six years. There is an increased urgency for the construction of a new school at Kilfinane. I have seen at first hand the conditions pertaining there, which are continuing to deteriorate, as the school is very old. The promises made some three years ago that a school would be built immediately after the general election should now be honoured.

The report to the INTO made it clear that the facilities at the school are unsatisfactory and have been so for several years. The school is the base for a remedial teacher who is shared among five schools. Her classroom is a cubicle partitioned off a room also used as a staff room, library and office. The resource teacher works in similar conditions. The disruption is continuous and not conducive to a learning experience. It renders the teacher's job particularly difficult and places the children who learn in that environment at a further disadvantage. There are no indoor PE facilities, no general purpose room and no place for children to leave their gear for outdoor games. The staff is enthusiastic in encouraging the use of computers but with so little space this is extremely difficult. Toilet facilities for staff are inadequate while the outdoor facilities for children are Dickensian. I doubt that the school building would pass examination by the Health and Safety Authority. The school was forced to close for two days recently because of concern for the safety of the children.

It is more than eight years since representations were first made regarding the provision of this school. The feasibility study carried out clearly shows that a new building is the only viable option. A site was acquired for this purpose and the Department of Education and Science commissioned a feasibility study on the site and found it suitable. The staff wants what is best for the children of the parish. They also need practical working conditions to enable them to carry out their professional duties. They have found themselves frustrated over the years. The school has a shared remedial teacher, a full-time resource teacher and a part-time resource teacher. In January 1998 the board of management applied to the Department of Education and Science to carry out structural works on the old school. The Department and the board of management decided that a new school was required. Approval was granted in 2001.

The existing building dates back to 1909. The school is housed in a converted church. It consists of six small classrooms, three of which are only 25 square metres in area. There is a tiny ancillary room used as the library and a tiny office and cloakroom. There is also a small central hall that can be accessed from the classrooms. Part of this hall has had to be sacrificed to accommodate the secretary's office. There is no staff room and the toilets are situated outdoors. The outdoor playing space is very limited and teachers are concerned for the safety of the children. Three other classrooms measure seven by five metres in area and house classes of between 25 and 30 pupils. Partitions between classrooms are wafer-thin, consisting of narrow timber boards or glass and are not sound-proof which causes difficulties for teaching and learning. The timber floors have begun to sag in many areas due to the building design. Ceilings are very high and temperature extremes are common. The present school is situated on a steep slope, which creates safety problems. There are many unavoidable drops and steps within the site, which are dangerous and always a concern to teachers and parents.

The delay in acquiring the site was claimed as a reason for not providing the school. In November 2002 the site was acquired. The Department knew of the school's problems and the need for a new school back in 1998. There is evidence of dry rot and many of the windows cannot be opened, leading to a lack of ventilation. Sinks are provided in only three of the rooms. There is no staff room.

Kilfinane is a developing community. In the past three years there have been 220 planning permissions for dwelling houses within a radius of three miles. The projected estimate is for 250 dwellings within the next three years. It is an expanding community in need of a new school, not alone for the present pupils and teachers but for future pupils and teachers.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline to the House the strategy of the Department of Education and Science for capital investment in education projects and to outline the position regarding the application received in the Department for improved accommodation at Kilfinane national school, Kilfinane, County Limerick.

Since the beginning of the year the Minister for Education and Science has made several announcements relating to the schools building and modernisation programme. This year alone, €270 million will be allocated to primary schools and €223 million to post-primary schools for building works. This represents an increase of 14% on the 2004 allocation.

The programmes supported will include 141 major building projects already on site and a further 28 due to commence in the coming weeks; 122 major school building projects country wide which will prepare tenders and move to construction during 2005; 192 primary schools which have been invited to take part in the small and rural schools initiative and the devolved scheme for providing additional accommodation. This scheme is in its infancy but already it is deemed to be very successful. Approximately 120 schools have been given approval to rent temporary premises pending delivery of a permanent solution to their long-term accommodation needs. Forty-three schools have been authorised to start architectural planning of their major projects and 590 schools were recently given approval to complete essential small scale projects under the summer works scheme. I am pleased to confirm that Kilfinane national school was successful in securing funding under this scheme to carry out essential roof works to part of the school building, at a cost of around €12,000.

Kilfinane national school is a co-educational primary school with a current enrolment of 130 pupils. Enrolments have decreased in recent years, from 162 pupils in the school year 1998-99 to 130 pupils in September 2004 and this downward trend has necessitated a further examination of proposed school size to ensure that any capital funding being provided is appropriate to meet the need. I take note of Deputy Neville's point that Kilfinane is a developing community with 220 planning permissions and increasing to 250 developments within a radius of the village. If this information is not already in the hands of the Department, I will bring it to the attention of the Minister.

Arising from an application for an extension from the school authority in 1998 it has been established that the school, which was constructed in 1909 and is located on a restricted site, is subject to a preservation order. Following a feasibility study it was considered more appropriate to address the needs of the school by way of a new school. The OPW, which acts on behalf of the Department of Education and Science in respect of site acquisitions, was requested to address the issue of site purchase but the diocese decided to purchase the site for the school. I understand the site is now in the ownership of the diocese.

The application for a new school at Kilfinane national school is being reassessed on the basis of the actual size of school to be provided. Once this has been completed the project will be banded in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria with a view to being considered for the appointment of a design team to commence architectural planning of the new school.

The Deputy will be aware that the Department has made a series of announcements in respect of the 2005 school building programme and will make further announcements on projects to go to architectural planning in the course of the year. I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the method used by the Department of Education and Science in determining in an open and transparent way the inclusion of projects in the school building programme and to assure the House that this school and all others will be treated in a fair and equitable manner.