Michael McCarthy (Labour)

I welcome the Minister and thank her for taking this Adjournment matter. I also thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this important issue on the Adjournment. Essentially, it relates to Scoil Phádraig Naofa, St. Patrick's boys national school in Dunmanway, County Cork. There is a plan to extend the school to include a hall, a computer room, a resource teaching room, a storeroom and a staffroom. However, in the short term, in 2002 the school was given a commitment that a Portakabin for resource teaching would be on the agenda. It received documentation from the Department to proceed to a stage where it could employ an architect-designer, engage in the planning process, obtain planning permission and obtain a fire certificate. The Department also advised it to comply with the regulations that it should stay within the specified criteria and that it should invite at least three tenders for the Portakabin.

I do not need to tell the Minister, either as Minister for Education and Science or as a former teacher, of the importance of resource teaching in the school. The fact that it currently takes place in the staff room is inappropriate and is unhelpful to the development of the children. Given that teachers do an important job in difficult circumstances, it is not good enough.

There was a change of principal in the school and the new principal pursued this issue but was informed that the school would be obliged to re-apply. The school authorities re-applied and were then told that no funding was available. In other words, a situation arose where the Department had advised the school to proceed to planning stage but after the change in personnel at the helm of the school, it was told that funding was no longer available. Mindful of the fact that Senator O'Toole will also make a contribution, I appeal to the Minister to examine this worthy request from Scoil Phádraig Naofa for a Portakabin for resource teaching. That is the board of management's primary objective. I have met the teaching staff and parents in respect of this case and I appeal to the Minister to show her better nature and grant the funding for the resource teaching Portakabin.