Public meeting called to take action about overflowing toilets, leaking roofs, bad heating at Laois school

A public meeting has been called after shocking conditions at a big primary school in Laois have been highlighted to General Election candidates by parents.

The meeting will be hosted by the Board of Management of Scoil Mhuire Abbeyleix due to a litany of ongoing building defects in the school building. The organisers meeting will also set about forming of an action plan to actively pursue a new school build as soon as possible.

"All parents and guardians are requested to attend, however, we would encourage members of the wider community to attend on the night also. At this meeting it is hoped to update parents as to the measures carried out by the BOM and previous BOM's to date, the current situation & proposed future actions," said the organisers.

The conditions at Scoil Mhuire, which has more than 300 boys and girls enrolled, were spelled out clearly and graphically to public representatives at the meeting organised by the Irish National Teachers Association in the run up to the General Election.

Blocked toilets and damp, water pouring through ceilings into classrooms were highlighted to candidates which included Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan and the other two outgoing Laois TDs, Brian Stanley and Sean Fleming.

The meeting heard that staff have to place plastic containers and buckets under the ceiling in several classrooms to catch the rain coming through the roof. Some ceilings are on the point of collapse. The building has no insulation in the ceilings and roof which has also driven up heating bills.

Ms Ciara Phelan spoke on behalf of a group of ten parents who attended the meeting.

She said the problems were ongoning for a number of years.

In an impassioned plea to the politicians, she highlighted the many shortcomings in the building which was built nearly 40 years ago.

“My main concern is the sewerage system. It doesn't exist, it is not working. I am hearing all of this through my children. I didn't get notified at all,” she said.

She highlighted an incident which reveals the unhygenic conditions the children have to face.

“There was one situation where my eldest daughter has told me there was a child sitting on a toilet when it overflowed on her. To me that is just disgusting in this day and age,” she said.

She highlighted other issues.

“There is no adequate heating. Our children have to sit in class all through winter with their jackets on. The ceiling is practically caving in on our elder daughter's class. There are leaks constantly,” she said.

Ms Phelan said, “I think we are in a situation where we need a new school. It is a high priority,” she said.

Irish National Teachers Organisation representative Joe McKeown backed the parents.

“Clearly we are in a situation where the school is not safe or fit or healthy for pupils or staff,” he said.

Ms Phelan said was also shocked to hear other issues raised by teachers such as pay inequality and secretarial difficulties.

“I just can't believe how bad it is. It is just horrendous,” Ciara Phelan told the meeting.

The meeting was also told that the Department of Education knows about the problems as an engineer's reported was submitted.

Following the meeting, the Leinster Express asked the Department of Education if any application for a school building has been submitted and the status of this application. We also asked if not, what measures can be taken to address health and safety issues facing children and staff, and if any measures are in train.

The Department replied, “The Department is aware of the issues at the school and will be putting arrangements in place to have them addressed. The Department will keep the school fully informed as arrangements are made.”

New extensions were added to Scoil Mhuire in recent years to accommodate Autism Spectrum Disorder units. New schools have been built in the Abbeyleix area at South National School and in nearby Ballyroan.

Three Laois TDs said visited the Scoil Mhuire in Abbeyleix and saw the issues for themselves.

Laois Fine Gael candidate and Minister Charlie Flanagan said he met with the principal, teachers and parents.

“I was shocked and found it utterly unacceptable,” he said.

Minister Flanagan said he had reported the situation to the Minister for Education. He said it would be a top priority after the election if he was elected.

He said up to €70 million has been spent in schools in Laois.

Mr Flanagan admitted to parents that he did notice the bad smell caused by the sewers and damp when he went into the building.

Fianna Fáil TD Sean Fleming said he also visited the school before Christmas and again recently and was also shocked by what he witnessed. He warned, however, the school is not on the Department of Education's priority list for new schools as the

Department is focused on areas of the country where there is rapid population growth.

He said his number one priority was to get a new building for Kolbe in Portlaoise followed by a replacement for Scoil Mhuire.

“If I am back in Government I will make sure the next Minister personally meets the representatives of the school,” he said.

The TD told the Leinster Express that when he visited the school the smell of damp and sewerage was instantly noticeable.

Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley demanded that Scoil Mhuire get a new building. He said he was “genuinely shocked” by the condition of this building, and the environment that pupils and teachers have to function in.

“The school needs to be put immediately on the school building programme and it is a scandal that it not already on it. As a matter of urgency, the Department now needs to engage a contractor to carry out urgent repairs to the roof and the sewerage system,” he said.

He said he was amazed parents were not “banging the door down”. He said work had been carried out on schools that were not as bad.

Fianna Fáil candidate Pauline Flanagan said it was absolutely shocking that TDs did not know about the conditions long before now. She pledged to fight for the school if elected.

“To have a school that sounds like it is from a third world country on our doorstep that is not fit for purpose, where someone sits on the loo and it overflows, I find that an absolute disgrace,” she said.

Cllr Noel Tuohy urged parents to get county councillors involved in their campaign.

The public meeting takes place on Tuesday, February 25 at 8pm - Scoil Mhuire School Hall.