Meath school bans polling in protest at conditions

A national school in Co Meath is not allowing its premises be used as a polling station in next week’s referendum in protest at conditions in the school.

Clonard National School, which was built in 1910, accommodates 82 pupils in three classrooms but is without hot water and affected by damp. It has only two toilets for 50 boys, no staff toilets or staff room and five electrical sockets for three classrooms.

Parents, furious at the situation, held a demonstration at the school gates this morning. They said they had been forced to take this action because they are tired of waiting for something to be done.

Mrs Carmel Geagan who is on the school board and has three children attending the school told ireland.com: "The situation is frustrating and soul-destroying". She said banning polling was not the preferred route of action but that they had no other choice.

It is unclear where polling in Clonard will take place next Wednesday and as yet people in the town have not been issued with polling cards. The Department of Environment is expected to comment on the matter later today.

The school board applied for a minor works grant in 1998, but the Department of Education deemed the conditions so bad that the school would have to be rebuilt.

But staff and parents say nothing has been done about it and conditions have got worse. Despite another application for grant money in November 2001 the school board says it has heard nothing from the Department.

Minster for Education, Dr Michael Woods, said this week: "A proposed building project for Clonard National School will proceed to architectural planning and to the preparation of tender documents, as soon as possible."

Dr Woods said: "Notwithstanding the progress on the major building project, my Department has advised the board of management that it is prepared to approve interim measures to address urgent health and safety issues at the school."

"My department will also be in contact with the board of management shortly regarding their recent application for additional temporary accommodation at the school," he said.

The parents are intending to write to all parents’ associations and the board of other schools in the region to gain support and if necessary continue the ban for the General Election.