Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I thank Senator Kitt for sharing time. Nobody can emphasise sufficiently well the conditions at this school. On the issue of health and safety and the requirement for a standard school size, the school is one-third of the size of the school required.

Senator Kitt referred to special needs children. When we were shown a slide of a special needs student in a small classroom with 28 other children with special assistants as well as the class teacher we realised the total neglect and lack of concern by the Minister and the Department if they allow this situation to continue. There have been delays.

The history of planning in this project is unbelievable as are the Department's reasons for postponing, changing, and dillydallying. What has happened is on the record. None of the new aids and support materials available to schools for teaching can be used in St. Catherine's national school in Aughrim because there is no storage space. Teachers take them away and store them in their homes, garages or wherever. They cannot use them because of the inadequacy of space. There is one computer in a classroom and the students queue to access it. It is like queueing to get into Croke Park.

The request is for a new six to eight classroom school which the Minister will decide. There is the clear advantage in that there is a site on which to build the school. There should be no delay on that score. Building and construction could take place without any disruption. As Senator Kitt has done, I ask that immediate steps be taken to proceed with whatever other planning procedure has to take place in regard to the provision of a new school.