Results 5,341-5,360 of 5,732 for speaker:Fidelma Healy Eames

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I welcome the Minister to the House. I support the motion tabled by the Independent Senators. It is well constructed and offers good guidance to the Department of Education and Science. I have known for some time that the schools building programme is not working adequately. I accept the Minister has invested and continues to invest money in schools. Clearly, based on population needs and...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: It is failing communities, teachers and pupils. I want to use this opportunity to provide the Minister with evidence the schools building programme is not working. It is in many ways a national disaster. I also want to be helpful by proposing some solutions which I ask the Minister, in her privileged role, to consider. It became evident during last week's meeting of the Committee of Public...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: As a teaching practice supervisor some years ago in Briarhill national school, Galway, a child could not pass by me to go to the toilet without knocking my folder off my knee. The pupils had no space to move. It was impossible to implement discovery active methods of a revised curriculum. Those pupils and teachers are now located in a business unit in Briarhill business park while their...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Why are they in these conditions?

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The Minister failed to plan forward and anticipate their needs when the old building was condemned.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The building programme is not meeting schools' needs; it is failing. For example, Moycullen national school, County Galway, has been on the schools building programme list for 11 years. Its representatives are unhappy with the Department of Education and Science building programme. When I asked them how the system could be improved they replied that applications for schools waiting more...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: More than 50% of accommodation at Athenry national school is prefabs, some of which are 20 years old. This school is supposed to be at the top of the list in County Galway but they do not know what this means. Does the Minister know what it means? Scoil Mhuire, Oranmore, a lovely school, is doing fine work. However, the teachers' desks are located in the corridors owing to a lack of space...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: At a meeting last week of the Joint Committee on Education and Science, Mr. Dónal Ó Conaill, representing gaelscoileanna, listed seven schools that receive from the Department between €45,000 and €186,000 per annum for rent. This is taxpayers' money. An average of €120,000 per annum is spent on prefabs. While the Government speaks of accountability and transparency, these schools...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I spoke this morning with the principal of Oakhill national school, Leopardstown, of which the Minister is aware. This school was built and privately funded by the Legionaries of Christ order. It is a modular school which comprises ten classrooms. It comes in a kit and was built in eight months at a cost of €2.9 million. The lifespan of this school is 30 years. I have been invited to...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: ——the growing population needs, we need to look at other measures.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: They need training for team teaching.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: They need time for training.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The school works budget is slashed for this year.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The modular approach?

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: At €35 million.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Not gaeilscoileanna.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Is it fair——

Seanad: Schools Building Projects: Motion (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: We should have questions and answers.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Apr 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The Minister for Health and Children when dealing with the issue of patient safety in the House yesterday presented global figures that suggested all was well. I seek guidance on this issue because I am at a loss to know where we can get direct answers to specific questions. All the local crises do not add up to everything being acceptable globally. This morning and in recent days I was...