School protest over falling roof

Parents at a Limerick primary school, where part of a roof collapsed last week, have pledged to step up their protests during…

Parents at a Limerick primary school, where part of a roof collapsed last week, have pledged to step up their protests during the summer break.

More than 200 parents, teachers and pupils at St Nessan's National School in Mungret staged a demonstration yesterday to vent their anger at the Department of Education.

Many held placards bearing slogans including "Hard Hat Site" and "No More Promises".

Last Thursday, two second-class pupils narrowly avoided injury when part of the roof in their prefab classroom collapsed.

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Parents and teachers at St Nessan's, which has 770 pupils, have been campaigning for years to have the sub-standard and overcrowded conditions improved.

Some 139 pupils - who are taught in five prefab classrooms - were out of school this week pending the results of a safety report carried out by the Office of Public Works.

They are not due to finish school for the summer break until next Thursday but there's little chance of them now returning before the recess.

Before the last General Election, parents say they were promised work would begin on five permanent classrooms to replace the prefabs - but to date - no work has started.

At yesterday's protest, parents vowed to continue their campaign throughout the summer holidays. "This is a very important time in the school year. Our children have been denied the right to an education because they have been sent home.

"We're not going to go away this time - we're going to keep up the pressure - we're going to keep visiting our local politicians and we're going to continue our protests at their clinics.

"We're adamant that we will get what we've been promised for the last ten years," said Ms Denise King, chairperson of St Nessan's Parents' Association.

INTO staff representative, Mr Gerry O'Sullivan, who also took part in yesterday's protest said: "I should be in a classroom today - so should four other teachers and 139 pupils. We will not be pushed aside by the Department of Education any longer and we will not listen to their empty promises.

"We are demanding our new buildings and they must be permanent structures," said Mr O'Sullivan.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said last night that they were still awaiting the report from the Office of Public Works before making any decision on the future of St Nessan's.