PRIMARY LEVEL: The Minister for Education's plan to build an energy-efficient "green" school in Co Offaly may strike a chord with many long suffering primary schools on the substandard list, which are well accustomed to Department double-speak.

Dr Woods recently announced he had secured an extra €300,000 from the Irish Energy Centre for Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada, a "pioneering" timber-framed, energy-efficient school in Tullamore.

The total cost of the school will be €3.3 million, according to the Minister.

Among the features of the new eight-classroom school highlighted by the Minister were its rainwater recovery system, its natural lighting and ventilation.

INTO general secretary John Carr says he welcomes any improvement in primary-school accommodation, especially at a time when many schools are in a "crisis situation".

However, he says, he would like

to remind Minister Woods that many substandard primary schools already had a number of the "green" features to which he referred.

"For 'rainwater recovery system' read 'buckets to catch water dripping through leaky roofs'. In place of 'natural lighting and ventilation' too many primary schools have 'rotting windows and doors'."

Carr also noted that the concept of a permanent timber-framed school could lack a certain appeal for some schools waiting for their building and refurbishment programmes to get underway.

"Many pupils and teachers might not be too impressed with an innovative scheme to build timber-framed schools, having spent too much time in prefabs."