A west Waterford town waiting 10 years for a new primary school has lost patience with the Department of Education and Science.
The plight of pupils and teachers in Cappoquin was highlighted last week when both the town's primary schools were included in a list of 40 identified as sub-standard by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation.
A decision to amalgamate the boys' and Mercy Convent schools was taken in 1991 and sanctioned by all parties including the boards of management and the Department. The main building in one of the schools dates back to 1902, and health and safety risks have been identified by teachers in both.
The Catholic Church purchased a site for the new school in 1997 and the required local funding is available. But locals are frustrated because the project has not moved beyond the architectural planning stage.
"It's a bit like being stuck in a traffic jam in Cashel on the road to Dublin," says Mr James Bennett, an INTO representative at the boys' school. "It's not much good to be told the rest of the road is clear if you're sitting in Cashel and can't move."
The parish priest, Father Robert Arthure, says the delay in advancing the project is a source of deep anger among teachers and parents. "We have excellent teachers in the two schools but it is very frustrating when you think of our primary school children and what could be provided in terms of cheerful, nice classrooms and adequate playing facilities."
"There are mothers in Cappoquin who have to wash their children's clothes every day because the playing areas they have are so wet and muddy. We just feel with all the talk of the Celtic Tiger and Ireland being "the envy of the whole of Europe", that if this is what they're envious of it doesn't say much for the whole of Europe."
The matter was raised in the Dail last week by the Labour TD for Waterford, Mr Brian O'Shea, who said it was "nothing short of an outrage" that both the primary schools in one small town were among "the most dilapidated in the country".
A Department of Education spokesman said the original plan for a six-classroom school had been dropped in favour of an eight-classroom building and this had necessitated re-design work. However, the schools' boards of management had been written to in recent days and told the project could now be advanced.
The next stage, he said, was the preparation of the detailed design drawings and contract documents. It was not possible to give a timescale for completion of the project. In the meantime, the 65 pupils will have to make do with the existing facilities. The school's main building dates to the 1940s, while the other, which houses three classrooms, is a pre-cast structure built in 1971 in which, says Mr Bennett, it is usually "either too warm or too cold". Many of the windows are in a poor state and cannot be opened.
The only playing areas are a concrete space about the size of a basketball court and a grassy slope, which becomes a quagmire in wet weather, he added.
Ms Brid Duggan, the INTO representative at the Mercy Convent school, which has 180 pupils, says the main building is almost a century old and a former cloakroom is being used as a classroom. Pupils from the infant classes have to negotiate a steep hill and pass by the convent secondary school to get to class and to and from their play area. "It's really frustrating that there's been no movement in the last year," she says.
In response to the INTO's list, Dr Woods said "hugely significant" progress had been made in eliminating sub-standard schools over the past three years. The Government had invested "massively" in capital projects for the primary sector and "while we acknowledge that much remains to be done, we remain committed to education as a top priority and we will continue to build on our progress," he said.
