John Minihan (Progressive Democrats)

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. Cork City has been declared European City of Culture in 2005, a prestigious honour not only for Cork but for the country, which will help us promote the arts and culture on both the European and world stage.

The Cork School of Music is steeped in the cultural history of Cork. It has received world-wide recognition for its contribution to musical education, most recently the introduction of the Suzuki method of teaching violin to children from the age of three. It houses two orchestras and has had close association over the years with musicians of the calibre of Professor Fleischmann, Micheál Ó Súilleabháin and the late Sean Ó Riada. It goes without saying that the Cork School of Music will play a major role in the 2005 celebrations and should be the flagship for Cork as European City of Culture.

The staff and pupils of the Cork School of Music vacated the existing school building in September 2001 and are currently in temporary accommodation. This amounts to 14 months in fairly unsuitable accommodation with no end date in sight. The school, with a student population of 3,500 is currently located in 17 different buildings throughout the city while awaiting the construction of the new school. The existing school has been vacant for those 14 months and that alone has serious implications should it have to be reoccupied by the staff and students. One of the primary reasons for designing a completely new building on the existing site, rather than modifying the existing building, was its lack of compliance with current fire, disabled access and health and safety legislation.