Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I thank the Senator for raising the matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline the process being utilised to ensure adequate accommodation in schools at primary and post-primary level in all parts of the country.

The forward planning section of the Department of Education and Skills has carried out a study of the country to identify the areas where, due to demographic changes, there may be a requirement for significant additional school provision at both primary and post-primary levels over the coming years. School accommodation requirements throughout the country have been considered as part of this detailed study and the Department is considering options to meet the deficit of accommodation identified in areas of particular need as a top priority.

Turning to the specific query referred to by the Senator regarding the gaelscoil in Oranmore, County Galway, I can confirm that, following discussions with Galway County Council, a suitable site has been identified for this school and it is proposed to acquire this site for the purposes of developing a new school building. However, the acquisition of this site is subject to outline planning permission being granted. The Department lodged an application for outline planning permission with the local authority on 4 July. The planning authority has eight weeks from that date to make its decision on the application. The planning application included the results of a number of different reports and studies regarding the site such as topographical surveys, a traffic management study and environmental surveys, including ecological, hydrological and visual impact assessment reports. Pending the outcome of the planning process and the acquisition of the site, the progression of the accompanying building project will then be considered in the context of the capital budget available to the Department for school buildings generally.

The current position regarding the other gaelscoil is that the school authority submitted an application for large scale capital funding for an extension and refurbishment project. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band 2.2 rating. Documents explaining the band rating system are available on the Department's website. Information in respect of the current school building programme, along with all assessed applications for major capital works, including this project, is available on the Department's website.

The project criteria for a band 2.2 project are as follows: there is a deficit of mainstream accommodation; the deficit constitutes a substantial and significant proportion of the school's overall accommodation needs; and the condition of the existing accommodation is adequate. For a 2.1 band rating to be applied to a project, the project would have to meet these criteria and, in addition, an extensive refurbishment of the existing accommodation would be required. In the case of the gaelscoil in Loughrea, County Galway, the school's existing accommodation is in adequate condition but there is a deficit of accommodation and, therefore, a band 2.2 rating is the most appropriate. It is open to the school authority to supply further information to the Department in support of its application, if it wishes to do so.

All large scale building projects, including this project, are progressed in the context of the Department's multi-annual school building and modernisation programme and the available financial resources. However, in light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the Department, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of the project at this time. I again thank the Senator for the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the current position regarding both gaelscoileanna.