Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I am disturbed to have to raise this matter which involves looking for basic items. The basic requirement is the continuation of a rental grant for prefabricated accommodation in Scoil Mhainchin national school, Ennistymon, County Clare. The building in which the school is housed is over 100 years old and could do with reinvestment to bring it to the standard one would reasonably expect for our children in First world Ireland. The fact that the building is 100 years old means some of the classrooms are totally unacceptable and of a poor standard. The issues involved include insulation and heating, etc. For some time, a number of the classes have been accommodated in prefabricated buildings and a grant was made available by the Department of Education and Science to cover the rental cost. The school was contacted a number of weeks ago to be told the grant would not be available in 2014. The grant has been pulled in the middle of the school term. Accommodation is expected to be brought up to an acceptable level over the Christmas period, which is totally impractical and will not happen. No decent toilet facilities are available. The Department cannot stand over the removal of this small grant to provide prefabricated accommodation. I seek the reversal of the decision as a matter of extreme urgency. This is causing stress to teachers, the board of management, parents and children. This is not acceptable and should not happen in the run-up to Christmas.

The children attending school in Ennistymon are what I describe as discommoded because they are going from one second level school to another. They have to tramp across town in the wind and rain. Now primary schoolchildren in Ennistymon will be discriminated against and do not have simple prefabricated accommodation, which is unacceptable. I want this decision reversed and hope the reply of the Minister of State will inform me it has been reversed.