Infrastructural deficiencies at three Mayo primary schools highlighted

A MAYO Oireachtas member has highlighted a number of infrastructural deficiencies in respect of three national schools across the county.

Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh said Midfield National School, Swinford, has been in existence since 1964 but it still has very poor facilities.

She explained: "It has no hall of any shape or size whatsoever and this has been sought for several years.

"These 60 pupils are just as entitled to a hall and a play area as pupils anywhere else. There needs to be a strategy to deal with these situations.

"In Bangor Erris National School it is not possible to bring somebody out in a wheelchair and there is a wheelchair user there.

"This means nobody can use the yard, because we cannot have a situation where a child in a wheelchair is looking over a wall at other children playing.

"In this instance, we are not talking about large sums of money, but we are talking about an amount larger than that provided for in the works programme to allow the necessary work to be undertaken.

"From my school days, I remember the importance of the shelter, especially in the west of Ireland, to allow pupils to go in from the rain so they are not soaked wet going back into their classrooms.

"This is the situation in Saula National School in Achill, where there is no shelter. Applications have been made for such a shelter for many years and much fundraising undertaken, but the cost to get this done is still out of reach.

"We need to get the balance right in terms of basic facilities for children if all children are to be treated equally."