Laytown parents angry over school

A classroom has not been built in the east Meath area since 1974 despite the massive increase in population, the Oireachtas education committee heard yesterday.

"It is heartbreaking to think that if our children were criminals in our judicial system, they would have better facilities," parent Sharon Tolan told the committee.

The Concerned Parents of East Meath group was formed when parents found that Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa in Laytown would not be able to cater for the 130 children who had hoped to start school last September. As an interim measure, 91 children began their school day at 2pm when older children had gone home, while 39 others either went to schools outside the area or were kept at home for another year.

Since then they have found accommodation in the gym hall of Laytown's senior school and a new multi-school campus facility has been approved for Laytown.

Ms Tolan said their current facilities in the school gym were "inadequate and sub-standard".

"Two adult-sized toilets shared among 60 children, over 600 children deprived of any kind of physical education or extra-curricular activities that normally take place in this, the very heart of a school."

East Meath had a population of 22,000 "and we haven't even got a rope for children to swing on, no playgrounds, no community centre, no library, no play fields, and not a classroom built since 1974".

Another parent Louise Daly said a 2002 report from the Commission for School Accommodation highlighted Laytown/ Bettystown as an area in serious need of extra primary schools.

Also yesterday, the Oireachtas committee heard calls from the Union of Students in Ireland for a "complete reform" of the student grants system. USI president Colm Hamrogue said grants payment was "horrifically late" this year.

In his first year of college, he only received his full grant when he was sitting his final exams the following summer.