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Dáil Éireann - Volume 382 - 16 June, 1988

Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Wexford School Extension.

6. Mrs. Doyle asked the Minister for Education the length of time the staff and 750 pupils in Wexford town vocational school, who are using nine prefabs, one girls' toilet, two boys' toilets and no playing area will have to wait until work will commence on the major extension, the plans for which were at an advanced stage and ready to go for tender under the previous Administration; and if this is a priority in her Department as the pupil numbers will be rising for the next eight years.

Mrs. O'Rourke: I am aware of the circumstances of the school, which it is proposed to extend. The position is that this project has now reached developed sketch scheme, stage III of architectural planning. The rate at which all such large capital projects can proceed must be reviewed in the context of the availability [723] of capital resources and my Department's other commitments and priorities.

It is not possible to indicate at this stage when construction work will commence. However, after the developed sketch scheme the project will then advance through the stages of working drawings, bills of quantities and tender action. It is, therefore, incorrect and misleading to imply that the project was ready to go to tender under the previous Administration.

Mrs. Doyle: Will the Minister confirm that this project is awaiting clearance for the preparation of contract documents?

Mrs. O'Rourke: This project has now reached developed sketch scheme stage and must go through three further stages — working drawings, bills of quantities and tender action.

Mrs. Doyle: My information is that this project is awaiting clearance for the preparation of contract documents, which immediately precedes going to tender. Will the Minister please indicate whether she will be in a position to provide the necessary capital in the Book of Estimates this autumn to ensure that this work will go ahead next year, in view of the appalling conditions I outlined in the question?

Mrs. O'Rourke: The Deputy's information on both fronts is quite incorrect. She stated in the question that it was ready to go to tender under the previous Administration. That is manifestly not correct.

Mrs. Doyle: It was at the pre-tender stage.

Mrs. O'Rourke: It was not at the pre-tender stage. There remained three further stages — working drawings, bills of quantities and tender action.

Mrs. Doyle: Obviously the information the school is getting from the Minister's Department and the information she is [724] getting from the Department do not coincide. Does the Minister accept that if Wexford town vocational school is to have a future it must be fit to compete and hold its market share?

(Interruptions.)

An Ceann Comhairle: I have already appealed to Deputy Fitzgerald to allow Question Time to continue in an orderly fashion. If he does not, I shall have to deal with him.

Mrs. Doyle: Does the Minister not agree that this public sector school, which by its very nature is not selective in its entry requirements and, therefore, has to deal with a more than average number of young people who may have problems, should be fit to compete and hold its market share with other second level schools in Wexford, none of which has pre-fab buildings and all of which have excellent sports and recreational facilities? Will she give a commitment that she will immediately take a personal interest in this case and endeavour to have the money provided in next year's capital programme so that an immediate start can be made? Seven hundred pupils and teachers are working in appalling conditions.

An Ceann Comhairle: This is becoming more like a speech.

Mrs. O'Rourke: Deputy Doyle was here for four years and did not see fit to give this Wexford town vocational school a big heave up.

Mrs. Doyle: I did not have to. It got excellent individual attention from my Minister.

Mr. L. Fitzgerald: What was the result?

Mrs. Doyle: It came from drawing board stage to pre-tender stage.

Mrs. O'Rourke: Deputy Doyle's Government were in office for four years [725] and the Deputy was a Minister of State in that Government, yet she did not see construction work begin on this school. That is a fact.

Mrs. Doyle: No, but it had reached pre-tender stage. Fifteen months later the Minister has no commitment to Wexford.

Mrs. O'Rourke: I refute absolutely the allegation that my Department are giving me different information from that they are giving to Deputy Doyle.

Mrs. Doyle: The facts will bear out the truth.

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Mr. F. Fahey): Every school in the country was at pre-tender stage under the last Government, but nothing was being done about any of them.

Mrs. O'Rourke: It was not cleared for contract. There remained three stages. Do not give me that bilge.

Mrs. Doyle: It was awaiting the preparation of contract documents. I suggest that the Minister should stick to parliamentary language.

An Ceann Comhairle: This heckling by Deputies from a seated position is most disorderly.

Mrs. O'Rourke: It is a nautical term. The Deputy, as spokesperson for the Marine, should be familar with it. It is spelt b-i-l-g-e.

Mrs. Doyle: It has other connotations. I shall talk to the Minister later about them.

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