Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes, for coming in to take the Adjournment. This matter concerns one of the largest primary schools in County Donegal which has an enrolment of more than 440 children. The school was placed on the capital building programme prior to the 2011 general election but the then Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, for reasons probably best known to himself, removed the school from the capital building programme. While some progress has been made in the past 12 months in respect of getting a design team up and running, meetings between Department officials, the board of management and the architects appointed by the school, the danger is that if the project is not on the capital building programme all this work may be in vain.

The school was built in 1958 and an extension was built in 1974. It has only 12 permanent classrooms, only four of which have toilet facilities and running water. Approximately 40% of the children are being taught in prefabricated accommodation, including children with special needs. The playground is extremely dangerous because it doubles onto a carpark which is used by the adjoining parish centre and St. Mary's Church. There is major traffic congestion particularly in the mornings when a mass service takes place and in the evenings and also when weddings and funerals take place at the local church.

A new site has been identified. I raise the issue to ascertain from the Department whether the project can be placed on the capital building programme. While the Minister of State, who is a big Tipperary supporter and is getting ready for the weekend, is not responsible for this particular area I am not sure if he has good news to announce today. I hope the Department has given him a script that may shed some light on the issues raised.