Seanad debates

Wednesday, 2 June 2004

Schools Building Projects.

 

7:00 am

Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ahern, to the House. I would like to raise the simple matter of the excellent educational facility offered at the Presentation College secondary school at Askea in Carlow town. The excellence of the facilities is not matched by the level of expertise and care given to the students, unfortunately. The school is at stage 5 of the planning process, but it is stuck in band 3. It wants its band rating to be increased so that it can guarantee that the building works will commence this year. The bill of quantities has been completed, the tendering documents have been submitted and planning permission has been secured for the building programme. The project is ready to start as soon as it gets the final nod from the building unit of the Department of Education and Science.

The existing school building, which was constructed in the 1980s, is modern, but it is out of date in certain respects as a consequence of advancements in the building industry. It is not wheelchair-accessible in the same manner as a modern building. The school has some health and safety issues. It does not have a PE hall at present. The children are forced to walk a mile to a nearby sports centre, which poses real risks to them and is unsatisfactory for them and their teachers. It means that PE classes often have to be cancelled because of bad weather. Secondary schools in Ireland deserve to have their own dedicated gym. The school has major plans to renovate the buildings to modern standards, including wheelchair accessibility.

Everything has been done in respect of this project. Planning permission has been secured, all the documents have been submitted and the school has worked closely with parents, teachers and children as well as public representatives. I attended a constructive meeting in the school a few months ago with the local Fianna Fáil Deputy, M.J. Nolan. The school asked us to try to apply as much pressure as possible to ensure that the project is started next year. There was grave disappointment when the building programme was announced this year and the school discovered its project was not to proceed.

I urge the Minister of State to ask the Minister for Education and Science to write the cheque and send it to Carlow. I will even bring it down myself and save him the cost of a stamp. I hope the school building programme can commence, even towards the end of this year if possible, so that it can be in place by 2005.

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