Minister pours cold water on schools finances - Daly

For schools throughout the country that have been waiting for school buildings, extra staffing, resource teachers and classroom assistants the latest announcement that water charges are to be applied to schools comes as no surprise. The charge is in reality a cutting of the schools budget as it represents a new liability, according to Athy’s Cllr Richard Daly of Fine Gael

“Obviously conserving water should be a priority for all of us, schools included. Has the Department of Education included the provision of storage tanks for roof water in all of its newly built schools? Has the department included the provision of environmentally friendly renewable fuel burners in the heating system of all new schools? Has the Department of Education included the provision of solar panels, lighting timer switches, CFL bulbs, ICT paperless recordkeeping and administration systems within its organisation or many of the other “green” initiatives. Instead all of these issues are passed down to local school management.

The mixed logic of on one hand providing funding for school meals and simultaneously charging for the use of water seems to indicate a lack of thinking on this issue.

Conservation of water in schools is a design issue and the use of half flush toilets, recycled natural water, etc., require remedial and expensive plumbing changes. This year instead of prioritising an aggressive Summer Works scheme to address plumbing and water conservation issues in school in advance of water charges, the Department instead abandons the very scheme which could make inroads into these issues in older schools and declares that it will not be operating a Summer Works scheme this year.

The Minister for Education must begin to take responsibility for the operation of schools within her charge and should begin to address the water conservation issue in advance of punitive charges” said Cllr Daly.