Pupils forced to wear coats and hats in school building ‘not fit for purpose’

Children and staff at Lismullen National School endure cold, cramped conditions every day and regularly have to wear coats, hats and scarves indoors.

The electricity supply keeps tripping, there are no indoor facilities for PE, concerts or assembly and just one toilet for 25 members of staff.

Principal, Violet Molloy, said they are anxiously waiting for their new school premises, which is currently at tender stage.

“We aren't getting any word from the Department of Education and we don't know if work will start this year.

“The building we are in is not fit for purpose and an insurance official who was here told me it was the worst school building he had ever seen.”

She explained that there are 259 pupils in the school, part of which is 65 years old. A new building was added in 1992 and there are a lot of prefabs in use.

“We have had roofs caving in and we are constantly repairing and fixing. We have nowhere to store equipment, no infrastructure for laptops. We got approved for the hot meal scheme but don't know how we can run it, because we have nowhere to put the ovens.

“A the moment, we cannot cater for children with autism, we haven't the appropriate facilities or a sensory room, but these classes are desperately needed.

“We have a really lovely school community, but morale is very low because of the conditions.”

Deputy Darren O'Rourke raised the issue in the Dáil last week and spoke of the “substandard and wholly inadequate accommodation”.

He asked for a clear time-frame in which the new school building would be constructed.

“The 259 children who attend Lismullen NS are denied what we would all expect as the basics. The school deserves immediate and urgent action.

“The building is so cold that the heating goes on at 4am to heat the rooms. The vast majority of that heat goes out the paper-thin windows, walls and roof.

“The fuseboard is overloaded and regularly trips. That means that children are denied the usual ICT experience. They cannot store the materials anyway because there is not enough space. “

“There is no indoor space to gather as a school community for school assembly or sports. That means there is no PE in winter. They cannot complete the dance or gymnastic strands of the PE curriculum. They cannot have Christmas plays, music and drama or events that ordinarily include an audience.

“There is no space internally or, to a large extent, externally for sports. This has an impact on the physical development and the health of the student population.”

Deputy O'Rourke said the building is totally outdated and the external space is similarly inadequate.

“This has a huge impact on teaching and learning for children and the work environment for staff and management.

“Children with additional educational needs do not have space for movement breaks. There are no sensory gardens not to mention occupational therapy or physiotherapy. The buddy benches are not being used for their purpose due to overcrowding.”

“Staff are doing their absolute best in everything they are doing for the children but morale is dreadfully low.

“This is wholly inadequate accommodation for a primary school in 2024. It is wrong. It is as simple as that.

“The school population want to know when this project will get the green light and when a letter of authorisation will issue.”

Minister of State at the Department of Education, Josepha Madigan said the project is included in the Department of Education’s construction programme. The Department’s planning and building unit is currently assessing its work programme and priorities for 2024 in the context of overall requirements.

“Lismullen National School remains a priority for delivery, in line with the accommodation issues present at the school. The tender process was undertaken and a contractor identified. The next steps for this project will be the completion of the tender process and progression to stage 4, which is construction.

“I want to reassure the Deputy and the Lismullen National School community that the school building project will be progressed and delivered. The Department will update the school authorities when there is a further update on the progression of the major project.”

The proposals for Lismullen National School include the construction of a new 16-classroom primary school and the demolition of the existing school building.

“It will be a two-storey building with lots of space,” said Ms Molloy. “We will have a hall and we will be able to open an autism class.

“We are now waiting for a letter of intent, but we really need for work to start this year,” she said.

Deputy O'Rourke said there is huge frustration at the rate of progress.

“The school population wants a clear timeline and a clear indication of the date on which the letter of intent will issue.

“This is a very proud school and the whole community is doing its level best but it is not working with facilities that are suitable in this day and age in 2024. They are looking to the Minister of State, to the senior Minister, to the Department and to their local Government representatives for a clear date on which the letter of intent will issue and the giving of that green light to this project after many, many false dawns.”