Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)

I apologise on behalf of my colleague, Senator O'Reilly, who wished to participate in this debate. He must attend another appointment, but he wishes to be associated with this Adjournment matter.

Laragh national school, Stradone, County Cavan was built in 1963. Originally designed as a three-teacher school, it now has 130 pupils, five mainstream teachers, one part-time resource teacher, one learning support teacher, three special needs assistants and one school secretary, a total of 11 staff. Three prefabricated buildings were added to the structure in 1972 when Caulfield national school and Carrickallen national school amalgamated with Laragh national school. A further prefabricated building was provided in September 2001. There are only two permanent classrooms, the rest of the accommodation being prefabricated. The condition of the prefabricated accommodation is deplorable despite the best efforts of boards of management over the years. Asbestos panels were removed from the prefabricated buildings approximately six years ago and replaced with plywood, which has since rotted. There is no hot water in the school. The electricity and sewerage systems are not up to safety standards and are in breach of the Health and Safety Act. The Department has been advised of this situation by my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Smith.

The parish purchased a large field beside the school to provide options for the necessary development and to try to improve playground facilities, but it was unable to do any work without the Department of Education and Science being on board. The school has an excellent teaching staff, but morale is low. Councillors Michael McCarey and Gerry Murray and Mr. Pat Smith of the school's board of management have been lobbying the Minister and I continuously in respect of this worthy project.

Two options are available to the Department, namely, a total refurbishment of the existing school plus the construction of a permanent extension or a new school on a greenfield site. I urge the Minister of State to progress one of these options as soon as possible.