Seanad debates
Wednesday, 19 November 2003
Adjournment Matters. - Schools Building Projects.
10:30 am
Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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I am delighted to see the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley, here again for the Adjournment debate.
Fenor national school in County Waterford is awaiting sanction for a resource and learning support room to be built. Planning permission and all the relevant documentation, plans, drawings etc. are in place and the project went out to tender on 19 September 2002. A verbal commitment was given by the Department that the new room would be built, commencing December 2002. This obviously has not happened and the board of management cannot understand why this small project was not even on the schools building programme for 2003.
When the learning support and resource teachers are in the school at the same time, children have to be taught on the corridor. The learning support room they are using is a small storeroom measuring 8 ft. by 4.5 ft., which is totally inadequate. This leads to another problem in that they have no storeroom to use, no principal's office, no parents' room etc. However, their main priority is a new learning support and resources room. A number of small pilot project were announced last year for jobs like this and I appeal to the Minister of State to ensure that sanction is given for a similar project so that the children of this school get fair play and are treated in a proper manner. It is an excellent school and there is a strong community spirit in Fenor.
Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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I am glad the Senator has given me the opportunity to outline to the House on behalf of the Department of Education and Science the current position regarding the provision of a learning-resource room at Fenor national school, County Waterford. The 2003 capital programme was published earlier this year and full details on individual projects are available on the Department's website.
The programme is designed to give the maximum amount of information to managers, boards of management, principals, parents and students. The criteria used for selecting projects was also published for the first time. This year's building programme amounts to €342.9 million, four times the amount allocated in 1997. The 2003 programme will deliver over 140 large-scale projects at primary and post-primary level. In addition, over 400 schools will benefit in some way from the capital programme, while all primary schools benefit directly from the devolved grants scheme for minor works.
Fenor national school currently has accommodation available in the form of a general purpose room, which can be used for resource-learning support purposes, but given current financial commitments, the Department of Education and Science was unable to provide temporary or permanent accommodation there in 2003. The Minister for Education and Science intends to publish details of the 2004 school building programme by early January at the latest. The programme will clarify the progress planned for projects such as Fenor national school during 2004. I again thank the Senator for the opportunity to outline to the House the current position on the proposed project.