Fifty seven Mayo schools require some form of building works, it has been revealed this week. Fifty two of those schools are in pre-architectural planning and only five schools are at the stage of architectural planning.
The information was obtained by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny from the Department of Education and Science. The information also reveals that prefabs were hired at six schools costing more than €100,000 each and three other schools costing over €50,000 each. This alone represents a minimum spend of €750,000 on prefabs annually in Mayo.
Deputy Kenny said the information shows the “dire state” that the Fianna Fáil/Green Government has “inflicted upon our county’s education system”. “This problem is reflected nationally but it is vital that the Government stops using the School Building Programme as an election tactic and take a long-term approach with suitable strategic management of school buildings,” Dep Kenny added.
He continued: “The future of our children cannot continue to be handled in such a haphazard manner. We recently witnessed the farcical situation where the Minister for Education turned a sod for the sports hall at Davitt College in Castlebar when no contract had yet been signed. This makes a mockery of ministerial politics. Everybody welcomes the sports hall to go ahead but surely a senior minister should see to it that the contract is in place first. Are we to now see sods being turned for the new swimming pool in Castlebar, and the turning of the sod for the Castlebar-Westport carriageway without contracts also?” he asked.
