Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá céad fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Táim an-buíoch dó as teacht isteach inniu leis an gceist seo a phlé. I thank the Minister of State for attending. This is a busy time in the other House with a lot of things happening around the place, but I am glad he is here.

I wish to raise a local issue in Connemara regarding St. Paul's secondary school in Oughterard. Last week I visited St. Paul's following a request made by a number of teachers, the principal and vice-principal. I went along to see the situation from my own perspective. It is a co-educational voluntary secondary school that was founded in 1964. The school has gone from strength to strength. Oughterard is an area where the population has increased over recent years which has resulted in increased enrolment. The school has coped with the expansion as best it could. The national schools in the area have also expanded. As in any school, there is pressure for space and we understand that things do not happen overnight.

There is a very serious situation in St. Paul's secondary school at the moment. Two of its prefabs have been practically condemned for use. The prefabs were bought in 2003 as used prefabs. Since May 2012 the roofs on both of them have leaked, and extensive mould growth has occurred very quickly since the leaks have become apparent.

I understand the school has not been able to use those two prefabs - they have been locked - since an inspector from the Department visited in September of last year. The teachers who had been using those rooms have not been able to teach in them and have had to be accommodated elsewhere. This has impinged on other teachers in the school. The other rooms that are having to be used might not be as suitable for the subjects being taught as the prefabs were. The specific space that is needed by the school's special needs assistants to do their work has been impinged on. The school has had to rejig its schedules, etc. As the Minister of State is aware, the roof has been falling in. It is in a very dilapidated condition. The school authorities have asked the Department to look at this and sort it out. I hope the Minister of State will have good news for us.