Leaking roofs, collapsed floors, mould, damp and rodents... Dunboyne SNS staff and students want action

The stark reality of young children being educated in shocking conditions at Dunboyne Senior National School has angered local parents, who have launched a petition calling on the Department of Education to treat a long-planned Dunboyne school building as "a priority project with a clear and binding timeline for commencement and completion."

"This is an urgent issue affecting the safety, wellbeing, and educational experience of hundreds of local children," according to Karen Gunning, chair of the Dunboyne Senior and Junior National Schools Parents Association.

"Hundreds of children continue to learn in an ageing building that no longer meets the needs of a modern primary school."

"It is a fantastic school. The staff are incredible, so innovative, but they don't have the facilities to match," she said.

Parents, pupils and staff were devastated recently when their long awaited new school building was not prioritised in the National Development Plan.

Planning permission for a brand new 24 classroom school with additional classrooms for special needs is due to expire in August this year, which will further push back the project.

"Our junior school is 30 years old, but our senior school was built in 1971 and some of our prefabs are 20 years old," said Ms Gunning.

"The conditions are dire. We have leaking roofs in five classrooms and uneven flooring.

"In one portacabin, the floor collapsed recently and the class had to be relocated.

"We are looking for emergency works to replace the floor and we were told if it can be done, it will be done, but if it is not possible they won't replace the portacabin.

"We have been told that there are rodents living under the portacabins and the children don't think it is anything out of the ordinary.

"We now have nine portacabins housing ten classes and there there is an autism class in one of the prefabs.

"The concrete yard is in a bad state and it is just puddles in this weather. It is like an Olympic event in the mornings jumping over the puddles.

"While school staff handle these situations with professionalism and calm, the reality is stark: young children are being educated in infrastructure that is visibly failing.

"We feel our school is very hard done by. There are two other schools in Dunboyne, both in lovely new buildings, and then there is us, so very far behind."

"We have a parent on our committee who told us when she was was a pupil here she was promised the new school building, but now her child attends here and we are no further on.

"We are really on the clock at the moment, because if our planning permission is allowed to expire in August, it will put us back years. Our children have waited long enough.

Ms Gunning points out that Dunboyne is expanding rapidly. "A major housing development is already underway and more are planned. There will be an influx of young families, so the need will be even more urgent."

The school principal, JJ Brennan, said the 470 pupil senior school is showing its age and needs a major upgrade.

"We have had numerous leaks, a floor has capsized in a portacabin, and we have had infestations of mice, rats and even rabbits.

"We have nine portacabins that have been there 15 years and more.

"Discussions about a new school have been going on since 1995, this is the longest delay in the county. The new school building has been in the pipeline since 2008 and it includes a purpose built unit with two autism classes. This September. We will have a second autism class starting up in a portacabin.

"There has been significant anger that we not included in the capital projects in the development plan."

Despite the poor conditions work continues apace at the school.

"The staff are very dedicated. We are the only school in Meath that has a platinum Stem Award , we are just one of 25 schools to have it in the country.

"We are involved in local history projects, a clean air and pollinator projects. We have a tremendous new drama club with over 80 people involved, but there were comments at a recent show about the condition of the hall.

"We cannot fault the staff for their dedication, but the building is letting them down.

"We have all these accolades and awards but working in terrible conditions is terrible for staff morale.

"We have at least five classes with leaking roofs and there is a leak in the secretaries office. There are numerous health and safety issues.

"The Board of Management were under the impression our school was a priority, that is why there has been so much anger and disappointment that we have been put on the long finger," said Mr Brennan.

Deputy Darren O'Rourke raised the issue at the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth last week, where he spoke of the dreadful conditions.

"It is the longest running school building project in Meath - for 17 years or even more.

"They have huge issues, most recently a subsided prefab floor and they are awaiting emergency works.

"They were disappointed they were not on the list of 105 capital projects in the Development Plan.

"What progress might we expect to see?" he asked.

The assistant general secretary of the Department of Education, Hubert Loftus told him Dunboyne was not on the prioritised list, but will be considered when working through the priority list for the next tranche of funding.

Deputy O'Rourke said the project should be fast-tracked, particularly given the number of houses under construction and zoned in the area.