Parents boycott national school to protest poor conditions

CONDEMNED by health and fire safety experts, Loch an Iúir national school in Donegal faces a huge insurance headache if essential repairs are not carried out.

Since October 8, none of the school’s 65 pupils has attended class after parents decided to withdraw them to highlight the terrible conditions in which they were being taught.

Just short of its 75th birthday, the building has no toilet or canteen facilities for staff; the hall provides the only storage space; there is no hot water; 41 boys share one toilet; and not one of the original sash windows can be opened.

Parents and pupils have been on a 9.15am-3pm daily picket outside the school since October 8.

They plan further action if the Department of Education fails to address their plight.

Earlier this week, local TDs Mary Coughlan (FF), Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher (FF) and Dinny McGinley (FG) met Education Minister Noel Dempsey to ask him to approve an offer from a nearby Irish college to use its premises while essential repairs were carried out.

A decision is awaited. The politicians also requested that Loch an Iúir be included on a new devolved rural schools scheme, to be announced in January, which would give schools funds to authorise their own improvements locally.

School principal Mairéad Sweeney said unless the repairs are carried out, the school faces problems renewing its insurance policy next month.

The school has already been served with three improvement notices by the Health and Safety Authority and the North Western Health Board has outlined its concerns about the lack of sanitary services.