Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

The matter I raise concerns Clifden community school and the building programme there. In the few minutes available, I seek a constructive discussion with the Minister of State and my purpose is to achieve helpful information for the entire school community of Clifden community school. In particular, the Minister of State should outline the timeframe for the commencement of construction for the new Clifden community school building that has been sanctioned for some time, explain the rationale for the blocks being encountered at present between the school and the Department of Education and Science and advise the school board and parents on how to advance the process towards the speedy delivery of the new school for Clifden.

Clifden community school has been told in a letter from the Department of Education and Science that it cannot proceed further in the stages towards acquiring a new school in that area. This makes no sense to me and I consider it an outrage. The Minister of State should explain what this means and the reason it cannot progress further. Is the Department stating the school is not entitled to a new building and, if so, what is the reason?

Clifden community school was built in the 1970s for 250 pupils. It was never finished by the Department of Education and Science because at the time the builder went under. Moreover, it has used prefabs for the past 20 years due to its growth, over time, to its present enrolment of 420 pupils. Windows need to be replaced on a daily basis and each morning the school is obliged to mop up and dry out rooms before classes begin. This is unacceptable and, as a teacher, I would not have liked to work in such conditions. They contribute to a bad atmosphere for learning and definitely affect educational outcomes. It also affects the morale of staff, pupils and parents.

While the building caters for 420 pupils at present, the school maintenance grant goes on the prefabs, which are old, and on the maintenance of a building that never was finished. The impending closure of another local school, Kylemore Abbey, means that numbers will be even greater next year. As the nearest post-primary school to Clifden community school is 30 miles away, the entire community has no choice but to send their children to that school. Its teachers are excellent and its leadership is very good - I know its principal. However, this does not mean the pupils' place of learning is suitable because the opposite is the case.

The school covers a large rural area in west Connemara and its parents' association has stated it does not have a choice as to where to send the children to school. It states that although it has been waiting for a new building for ten years and has been moving on to different stages, it has been informed it cannot move on to the next stage. The association notes the school is in a CLÁR area due to its disadvantaged status and that although this is within the remit of the local Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, the parents believe he has let them down. Their impression is that one might ask why one should come to west Connemara when one can get as many or more votes by visiting two housing estates in Galway city. The children's education is important to the parents of west Connemara, to the staff teaching in the school and to the children. One parent told the parents' association that her child now is being taught in the same prefab in which she had been taught 20 years previously.

This is a fairly grim case that requires addressing. Given the construction downturn, it would be as easy to build the school now as it was during the time of the Celtic tiger because prices will be lower. I again ask the Minister of State to address my three questions on the timeframe for the commencement of construction for the sanctioned new building and the Department's reason for the block, which is completely outrageous. I look forward to hearing the response in this regard and advice on how to help the community to move forward its application.