23 June 2003: Deputy Emmet Stagg has continued to raise with the Minister for Education the unacceptable conditions in which pupils of Scoil Choca Naofa and Gaelscoil Ui Riada in Kilcock, continue to be taught in.
"Prior to the last General Election specific commitments were given by Fianna Fail in relation to the permanent building projects for both schools," he said yesterday. "Since then the Government have abandoned the schoolchildren and the best they can come up with is the provision of one new prefab for Scoil Choca Naofa."
Scoil Choca Naofa was built in 1953 and has four prefabs. The classrooms are overcrowded with over 30 children in classrooms which would not be recommended for 20 pupils on size requirements.
Gaelscoil Ui Riada was opened in 1986 and since then pupils have been taught in prefabs. A site is available for the building of a new school and planning permission exists for the new school. "The teachers are doing their best but it looks like this Government want the school to celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2006 in prefabs," Deputy Stagg said, adding that both of these projects were high priority but are not been treated as such by this Government.
"This Government is wasting money on Jets, gave tax breaks to industry of E350 million in the last Budget and is happy to salt away 1 Billion EURO in a future pension fund," he said.
