Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Chair for giving me the opportunity to raise this important issue with the Minister for Education and Science. I thank the Minister for coming to the House tonight. I have raised many matters on the Adjournment since I was first elected to the House, but this is the first time the Minister responsible has come here to respond to me. I appreciate the Minister's presence to listen to what I have to say about the gaelscoil in Clonmel. I know she has a great deal of knowledge of this saga, which I would prefer not to have to raise in this Chamber. I have asked many questions about it in the past, but on this occasion I will not be satisfied with answers which will not be carried through to fruition.

I would like to outline briefly the history of this affair. When South Tipperary County Council announced in 1997 that it was planning to stop using some office accommodation in the Irishtown district of Clonmel, it was suggested that the local gaelscoil, which had nowhere to go, be allowed to use the building. At the time, a divided council decided, against the wishes of the council management and engineers, to give the school permission to use it. As the building was not fit to be used as office accommodation, the county manager had recommended that it be levelled and the site used as a machinery yard. The members of the council did not take that recommendation on board, however — they agreed to the request of the parents and board of management in the school that the building be used to accommodate the gaelscoil.

The school authorities have been looking for permanent accommodation since 1997. When by-elections were held in the Tipperary South constituency in 2000 and 2001, public meetings were held in the local hotel and promises were made that a site would be acquired. The then Minister for Education and Science announced before the 2002 general election that a site would be made available to the gaelscoil — proof of this promise exists in the form of photographs which were taken with local representatives on the occasion of the announcement. When a further public meeting was held in 2007, Fianna Fáil councillors decided that they would table motions at local authority level favouring a site at the Ballingarrane estate, which is the property of the local council. They knew that the site would not be made available by the council, however. The management of this hugely successful school, which is supported by everybody in the local community, has been dealt with in a disgraceful and unfair manner. The parents, board of management and students are frustrated because they have been waiting for a long time for a new site, which is needed because the conditions in the current accommodation are extremely bad. They were hoodwinked in the past when various possible sites were mentioned.

I appeal to the Minister, Deputy Hanafin, to take this issue in hand by deciding where the school should be built. There are two possible sites, the Ballingarrane site I mentioned and a site on health board land, both of which are owned by the State. The latter site is owned by the Minister for Health and Children, under the auspices of the Health Service Executive. I ask the Minister to bang together the heads of the officials in the various Departments so that one of these two sites can be selected and a new school can be built. I understand that the necessary funds have been allocated and progress could be made if a site was made available in the morning. The manner in which this saga has been allowed to continue is unfair to those involved in the gaelscoil and the community as a whole. It is particularly unfair that the staff and students of the school should have to work in unsuitable conditions. I appreciate that the Minister has met various delegations about this matter, but she needs to bang some heads together so that a site can be identified and the new school can be built.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Tom Hayes for giving me an opportunity to outline the current position maidir le Gaelscoil Chluain Meala. Tuigim go maith an gá atá ann le haghaidh scoil nua. I genuinely appreciate that the school has had to wait a long time for new accommodation. The Government will do all it can to acquire a site for the gaelscoil as soon as possible. The aggressive protest that took place during the election campaign earlier this year, which was mentioned by Deputy Hayes, will not affect my determination to do something about the need for a new school. Children were used in an inappropriate manner during the protest, which took place in Clonmel. While I recognise that there is a need for a new school, I do not believe any school should operate in the manner observed that day.

As the Deputy is aware, the property management section of the Office of Public Works, which generally purchases sites for new schools on behalf of the Department of Education and Science, was asked to identify potential sites for the gaelscoil. A number of responses were received after the OPW placed an advertisement seeking proposals for possible sites. Six sites were visited and their technical suitability as locations for the gaelscoil was considered. The preferred location for the new school development emerged as a three-acre site on the existing Tipperary Rural and Business Development Institute campus, which is owned by Tipperary Rural and Business Development Institute Limited. The institute proposed to the Department that its campus in Clonmel be relocated to a large-scale technology park. The relocation proposal was approved on certain conditions, one of which was that the institute should assist the Department in finding a site for the gaelscoil. As I said earlier this year, while this process is reasonably well advanced, it is taking longer than expected.

Given the urgency of the school's needs, the Department has started to seek alternative site options. The Department is committed to acquiring a site for the school as quickly as possible, regardless of whether the site is part of the Tipperary Rural and Business Development Institute campus or at a location elsewhere in Clonmel. All sites are being considered as part of the efforts which are being made to bring this process to a conclusion. I thank Deputy Hayes and reassure him go bhfuilimid ag déanamh ár gcuid ar son Gaelscoil Chluain Meala chun suíomh ceart a fháil.