Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice founded the Christian Brothers and set up his first school in Waterford at Mount Sion. Although I am a De La Salle man, I am deeply proud of the Christian Brothers' beginnings and traditions and of Mount Sion and the host of luminaries it has produced in the academic, political and sporting fields in County Waterford and the country.

The board of management, the principal, the teachers and the parents of children attending Mount Sion secondary school were told more than five years ago that they would get a new school and that this school was at pre-tender stage. The then Minister, Deputy Woods, when opening the Abbey community school in Ferrybank in Waterford, announced that moneys had been allocated for four other new schools in Waterford city and county, including Mount Sion secondary school. However, Mount Sion is the only one of the four not to have received the green light to proceed with its new school. With all due respect to Department officials, those connected with Mount Sion have been fobbed off with promises from them and politicians as to when their school will commence. It is questionable whether they will even get the go ahead at this stage.

In a meeting with a high-ranking Department official in January 2005, representatives from Mount Sion were assured they would get the go ahead for the new school. At another meeting in January 2006, they were assured the new school was "a priority issue" and had the highest rating. The school's representatives sought a meeting with the Department again in 2007, but no meeting has been granted as yet. They were told they would have a technical visit from an official by March 2007, but that has not taken place to date.

There are serious health and safety deficiencies in the current school which require urgent attention. The school authorities need to know whether they will get their new school and when they will get the go ahead to start building. The site is available and everything is in place. All they need is a green light from the Department. The school has no PE hall, no modern facilities and will die unless permission is granted to proceed immediately. It may be suggested that falling numbers are the reason for the delay, but what else can be expected if a school cannot provide the modern day requirements for which the school's excellent staff are crying out?

It would be a shame to see this school founded by Edmund Ignatius Rice fade out of existence because of false promises and a lack of urgency by the Department of Education and Science and its political masters. The people of Waterford and people throughout the world who support the Christian Brothers will not stand for this treatment of a fine school which has contributed so much to the nation. I earnestly hope an announcement allowing the commencement of the new school will be made without further delay.