School attacks Ahern over funds ‘waffle’

THE school where children are being taught in a converted toilet hit back at the Taoiseach last night after he suggested it had not availed of funding.

Glenville National School in Co Cork accused Bertie Ahern of waffling. Its board of management said if the Government simply gave them the €1.2 million needed to build the school that was promised 10 years ago, they could have it built themselves within two years.

The Irish Examiner highlighted the school’s plight on Wednesday.

Glenville was promised a new building more than 10 years ago. In 2006, Education Minister Mary Hanafin wrote to the school promising work would begin with “immediate effect”.

Even though the school has raised €50,000 itself, nothing has happened.

Chairman of Glenville’s board of management Oliver Manley said given the chronic overcrowding, the school had no option but to convert the toilet into additional classroom space.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny grilled Mr Ahern about the case in the Dáil on Wednesday night.

Mr Ahern said the Government was spending €4.5 billion a year on school buildings.

“I do not know why the school mentioned did not partake in any of the summer works projects or get a position on the capital programme because I do not know every one of the 4,500 school projects,” he said.

Mr Manley said last night his comments implied that the board had failed to seek additional accommodation.

“This is simply not true,” he said. The board first applied for additional accommodation in 1999 and applied again in 2005, “but was refused, on the grounds that an application for permanent accommodation was being considered”.

Mr Manley said the school ruled out temporary accommodation because it availed of “so-called temporary accommodation” in 1968, which is still in use.

He again highlighted Ms Hanafin’s 2006 letter which stated that a new €1.2 million eight-classroom building was to be built “with immediate effect”.

“Somebody somewhere is telling lies. Let’s cut to the chase, Taoiseach and minister. Let’s cut out the waffle. Give us the €1.2 million and we’ll build the school,” he said.