Anger at school's 10-year wait for repairs
- Published: 30 September 2008
By John Walshe Education Editor
A PRIMARY school principal is afraid to identify a "senior government official" who promised a long overdue building -- in case her school is "penalised" by more delays.
"I had intended to name the person but was advised this morning that it would not be wise to do so," Noeleen Conboy, from St Brigid's Girls' National School, Palmerstown, Dublin, told the Irish Independent yesterday.
She said there was despair and anger in the staffroom yesterday when she read out the new list of approved school projects announced by Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe.
St Brigid's, which has 400 pupils, has been campaigning for 10 years for the refurbishment of the school building to a safe and modern standard.
In March 2006, all funding was in place and a schedule of work ready. Pre-fabs were provided to house eight classes during the building work at a cost of €12,300 per month to the Department of Education and Science.
The remaining pupils are housed in the old building which needs urgent repairs. To date, €750,000 has been spent on this project and still no stone has been turned.
The school's repair list includes: a leaking roof; removal of mould and asbestos; installation of a safe and effective heating system; upgrading of the electrical system; and installation of running water in all classrooms.
Last night, a parents' meeting discussed setting up an action group to put pressure on politicians to speed up the building work. They also considered putting their own candidate forward in the local elections.
Parents' spokeswoman Fiona Ebbs said: "It is so frustrating. We have been so close to starting all of the building work and it feels like this has been snatched away from us at the 11th hour."
Noreen Flynn, an executive member of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, told the meeting it was wrong that children should have to go to school in dilapidated and run-down buildings. "It is wrong that children are subjected to damp and dreary educational surroundings. In the 21st century, it is wrong that many of our schools would be a fitting setting for a Dickens novel.
" And it is wrong that elected politicians are doing nothing about it."
But a spokesman for Mr O'Keeffe said in a statement that "this project is at an advanced stage of architectural planning".
"The progression of all large-scale building projects, including this project, is being considered in the context of the department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme," he added.
Reckless
Meanwhile, the principal of Ennis National School, Gary Stack, yesterday warned that teaching staff at his school may take legal action over the condition of the classrooms, which many claim are causing the "reckless endangerment" of staff.
Mr Stack strongly hinted that legal action may be imminent after the school was one of those omitted from the Department of Education's list. He said an "explosive" HSE report had been lodged by the school, with the department outlining the physical condition of the school.
The school currently has 17 prefabs located within its grounds. Local Fine Gael TD Pat Breen has compared the school to a concentration camp.
"The decision that we have to decide now is who do we sue for reckless endangerment over the current state of the school.
"Will it be the Minister for Education? We have to examine this," Mr Stack said.
Fine Gael education spokesman Brian Hayes last night said more than half of critical school building projects that were ready to go but awaiting approval from the department had, once again, been ignored by the Mr O'Keeffe.
Larry Fleming, president of the Irish Primary Principals' Network, said that it seemed as if the goalposts had been moved yet again, with no apparent rationale for some schools being included in the projects announced yesterday while others were left out.
