Tom Morrissey (Progressive Democrats)

I raise this issue about St.Brigid's national school, Castleknock. It is a school with an enrolment of 768 pupils. The Castleknock parish area has had projections of a 170% increase in housing in recent years. This school has long waiting lists. It urgently needs a new gym. The existing gym that was built in 1971 has been condemned by health and safety experts as being totally inadequate for its original purpose.

There is lack of accommodation for teachers. It was originally an 8-teacher school. It now has the same staffroom for 35 teachers. I visited the school recently and there is one classroom in a broom cupboard and one in a converted toilet. Teachers are in shared areas, which were previously remedial areas. There is crumbling mortar in places on the exterior of the building which is symptomatic of its dire need of refurbishment. The school has submitted a major capital works application. I could go on, but I will allow the Minister of State to say what may be done for this school to get it on the list and bring it up the scale.

This is a school which has fallen through the cracks, for some odd reason. It needs urgent attention to be brought into the system. The conditions there truly surprised me.