The Irish National Teachers Organisation has published a list of 43 primary schools which it says are "seriously sub-standard" and in such an "appalling condition" that they put the Government in breach of commitments given to the social partners in the Partnership 2000 agreement.
Thirty eight of the 43 schools listed - nearly 80 per cent - are in counties along the western and south-western seaboard, with Mayo having nine sub-standard schools, Donegal seven, Kerry six and Cork four.
Thirty eight of the sub-standard schools have a fire or safety hazard of some kind; 27 have rats or other vermin; 27 have rotting windows or doors; 26 are seriously overcrowded; 19 have outdoor toilets; and 13 have prefabs older than 20 years.
Typical of many of them is the Gealscoil Sheain Ui Eigeartaigh in Cobh, Co Cork. Its six teachers and 124 children are housed in a totally unsuitable Victorian building, with part of its roof caved in so that the top floor is inaccessible.
"There is peeling paint and dampness everywhere on the walls and the bathrooms and toilets are smelly and extremely damp, with water coming through the walls when it rains, sopping towels and old sinks hanging on rusty supports," said Mr Joe Aherne, a board of management member, yesterday.
"There is no playground of any significance; no staff room or cloakroom; some windows have broken glass which needs repairing; some children are crammed three into desks designed for two, and there is a 20 ft-drop to a busy roadway, meaning that teachers are under constant pressure to monitor students to prevent accidents."
Father Seamus Heverin, chairman of the board of Lahardane NS, near Crossmolina, Co Mayo, said 63 children in his school were crowded into three tiny classrooms in what had formerly been a two-classroom school, with outside toilets 40 yards away and their shared "Breaking the Cycle" teacher forced to work from a desk in a draughty corridor.
The Department of Education had given approval for a classroom extension 2 1/2 years ago, and both an architect and a surveyor had completed reports.
INTO general secretary Senator Joe O'Toole conceded yesterday that there had been a "significant increase" for primary school buildings in last month's Estimates. He asked the Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Mr al Martin, to sit down with the union to agree "criteria to determine the urgency of need" of each school on the list. "Then let us publish a prioritised list indicating the schools which will receive aid and the order in which they will receive it."
Mr O'Toole said that with the large amounts of revenue now available to the Government, it could not ignore the health hazards, lack of hygiene, and unsafe roofs, windows and walls in these schools.
Fine Gael's education spokesman, Mr Richard Bruton, said what was needed was "an objective, independent procedure for deciding on a proper ranking of which schools are in the most serious need. Otherwise there will always be a suspicion that political considerations are entering into decisions about which upgradings are made."
Galway Labour TD Mr Michael D. Higgins said last week's Budget would boost bank profits while primary children continued to study in squalor. The preponderance of western schools on the INTO's list showed how Fianna Fail, when in office, ignored the deprived heartlands whose support it had traditionally taken for granted, he said.
The last government had proposed regional education structures to fill the huge gap between such schools and the Department of Education. "Now they are back in the maw of the bureaucrats who have presided over their neglect and decay," he said.
The 43 schools on the INTO's list are St John's NS, Killasser, Swinford; Lahardane NS, Crossmolina; SN An Fhaithche, Fahy; Garracloon NS, Cloghans; Scoil Raifteiri, Castlebar; Valley NS and Tonragee NS, Achill; Ballidine NS; and Gaelscoil Uileog de Burca, Claremorris - all in Co Mayo.
Listed in Donegal are the two national schools on Arranmore Island; Donoughmore NS, Castlefinn; Scoil Cholm Cille, Malin; Wood School, Ardara; Cloontagh NS, Clonmany and Scoil Mhuire, Letterkenny.
The Kerry schools are Scoil Nuachabhail, Ballymacelligott; Lixnaw BNS; Gaelscoil Aogain, Castleisland; Aughacasla, Castlegregory; St Joseph's BNS, Rathmore and Gaelscoil Faithleann, Killarney.
The Cork schools are Danderrow NS, Kinsale; St James NS, Durrus; Gaelscoil Sheain Ui Eigeartaigh, Cobh and Gaelscoil Thomais Diabhis, Mallow.
Other schools listed are Ahascragh NS, Barnaderg NS and SN Iaird Mhoir, Cill Chiarain, Co Galway; Inch NS, Kilmaley, St Senan's NS, Cloonlara and Mountshannon NS, Co Clare; Mount Bruis NS, Ballyporeen NS and Shanakill NS, Co Tipperary; Carrowreagh NS, Ballymote, Co Sligo; Scoil Naomh Mhaodhog, Cill An Chollaigh, Co Cavan; St Michael's NS, Corcaghan, Co Monaghan; Knockcommon NS, Navan, Co Meath; Scoil Ide, Corbally, Limerick; Gaelscoil Osrai, Loughboy, Co Kilkenny; St Patrick's CBS, Portarlington, Co Laois and Rutland Street NS in Dublin.