O'Keeffe sends team to study 'rat-infested fire-trap' school

THE MINISTER for Education and Science Batt O'Keeffe has ordered officials to visit a school in Co Galway described by its principal as a "rat-infested fire-trap".

Elizabeth Mulry, the principal of Eglish National School in Ahascragh, Co Galway, believes that the school is in as bad a condition as any in the State and the lack of ventilation is affecting the health of the children.

It has 49 pupils housed in two classrooms and two prefabs, one used as a classroom, the other as a multi-purpose room.

In response to her claims, the Minister announced yesterday that he has asked officials to visit the school to review how money given to the school for structural work in June has been spent.

The department allocated €26,862 to carry out remedial work, mostly on the roof, last summer. The money was given to the school after a visit by a senior architect in June. Eglish was also given €35,319 in capitation grants over the last three years.

"The Minister is eager to establish whether the significant funding already allocated in capitation and for remedial works is being spent, whether it is being spent in the most cost-effective manner possible and whether it is getting the requisite return in terms of structural and other works in the school," the spokesman said.

Mrs Mulry said the work carried out on the roof had stopped slates falling off on to the playground beneath, but had also sealed the roof. Because the windows cannot be opened, there is a lack of ventilation which has led to the children getting hives and headaches, she has claimed.

She also said that a problem with rats which had to be tackled by Rentokil last year has been compounded by a problem with mice which emerged before the mid-term break.

The school's board of management claims a new school will cost €630,000 and it has already bought a site beside the existing school for it.

The Minister's spokesman pointed out that an application for capital funding for a new school building was only received in April. He said the Minister was "well aware" of the application but it had to be "considered in the context of all other applications, many of which were lodged with the department long before that of Eglish NS".