Seanad debates

Tuesday, 9 February 2010

6:00 pm

Photo of Fidelma Healy EamesFidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

This is a major issue which concerns the lack of school places at Calasanctius College, Oranmore, which is causing major upset among parents in the parish and the wider catchment area the school serves. On behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, will the Minister of State verify the timeframe for delivery of the recommended Department of Education and Science extension for Calasanctius College? This was recommended in a 2007 report compiled by the Commission on School Accommodation on requirements in south Galway for the Department. The purpose of the extension is to accommodate the applicant pupils included in category 1 of the school's admission policy from the local primary schools in 2010 and 2011.

I will paint a picture for the Minister of State. In December 2009 I became aware that at the close of the enrolment period for September 2010, there were 283 applications — 190 in category 1, 15 in category 2 and 78 in category 3. The school could only offer 140 places. Immediately, 50 pupils in the most deserving category, according to the school's policy, were excluded. The school board of management reviewed the situation and offered a further ten places. Forty pupils from category 1 were then without school places. I spoke to the principal today, given that some pupils will apply to other schools. As of today, 9 February, 23 category 1 pupils still have no place for September 2010. Some of these pupils are from Oranmore boys' national school, while others are from Carnmore national school, only about two or three miles away, and Clarinbridge national school, about another two miles away.

The problem is there is a burgeoning population as a result of extensive housing development and no forward planning for the provision of secondary school places. However, a warning shot was fired. In 2007 the Minister of State's Department saw a need for this extension when it stated Calasanctius College should grow to be an 800-pupil school. The college was opened in 2006 as a state-of-the-art, beautiful 625 pupil school. The day it was opened it was under-capacity but who would blame any board of management for proceeding and advise that the school should not have been delivered because, as the Minister of State well knows, otherwise it might never have been provided? There are currently 733 pupils being housed in the school.

The most significant issue now is that there is not an adequate number of places for the most deserving pupils from the local parish and local feeder schools. The board of management is due to meet officials from the Department on 22 February. I have also requested a meeting with the Minister as soon as possible for the parents of pupils in the local parish and the local feeder schools. I ask the Minister of State to sanction, as a matter of urgency, the provision of extra accommodation immediately. Ideally, it should be permanent accommodation. Prior to the provision of the new building in 2006, the school was housed in decrepit prefabs and it is loath to see a repeat. I am speaking on behalf of the entire school community when I ask the Minister of State to sanction the provision of temporary accommodation with the proviso that permanent accommodation will be provided within two years, by September 2012 at the latest.

I will give some further background information to show how pressing the problem has become. In 2010 the seven feeder schools will have in excess of 200 pupils. According to school policy, they will deserve places but the school will only be able to accommodate 150 of them. In both 2011 and 2012 the numbers in the feeder schools will be in excess of 200. Pupils and parents have already been informed that the school is over-subscribed for enrolment in September 2011. The school has not yet had a chance to classify all of the applicants into categories 1, 2 and 3.

I ask the Minister of State to consider this serious problem. I am advising parents in the area that children in category 1 who are now being denied a place should expect to given a place by 1 September. I am sure, like me, the Minister of State wants to prevent a queue of parents outside Calasanctius College in Oranmore on 1 September looking for places for entry the following year; it could be a case of dog eat dog. I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's reply.

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