Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Cannon asked about the capital programme. We will continue the prefab programme. In the existing programme the focus was mostly on the rented prefabs but we will now move on to the prefabs that have been bought. We have to approach the schools and put it to them that we would replace the prefabs. In cases where a new building will be built, automatically the prefabs will be replaced but in the other cases, we will be approaching the schools in the context of the capital programme. The answer to the second question is "Yes" in regard to the schools already in the current programme but where there was a delay for one reason or another, they will stay on.

The digital school strategy is nearly ready to go. The Minister of State, Deputy English, and I have been working hard on it and we are close to conclusion. We want to get our capital allocation first, and the allocation the Minister, Deputy White, was getting with regard to the general roll-out was relevant also in regard to finalising the strategy. The aim is to have wireless broadband available to all schools but if I can respond also to Senator Moloney's point, which is related, we want to bring it from outside the school into the school under our budget. Bringing it up the mountain will have to be paid for under the budget of the Minister, Deputy White. There is private sector involvement in the roll-out as well but the State will be doing the parts the private sector does not consider it appropriate to do. It is a combination of getting it to the school gate and then us rolling it out in terms of moving from 30 up to 100 megabytes, as the Senator suggested.

Deputy Collins has left but I will briefly answer her question; Deputy McConalogue continued with the same topic. Deputy Collins's first question was on the need for new schools. Our estimate is that 19,000 places will be needed at primary level and 43,000 at post-primary level. That is looking at the demographic growth. The primary growth will peak in 2018, the post-primary will continue to grow up to 2024, and higher education will continue to grow further again. That is the way the demographics are growing. That is the reason we have included a bigger figure for post-primary than for primary.

With regard to having diversity of patronage and choices for parents, when he was Minister, Deputy Quinn started a process and a policy around providing more diversity. When schools are being provided parents in the area are questioned about the type of patronage they would like, and the vast majority of the new schools have been of multi-denominational patronage, mostly Educate Together. That is one way in which we are providing diversity.

The other way has been slower and more disappointing, that is, the divesting process.

That has not delivered as quickly as we would have liked for a variety of reasons. I intend to meet all the patrons. While I cannot remember the date, I will meet the Catholic bishops in the very near future and also the other patrons to discuss how we can inject a bit more pace into that process.

I would like to move more quickly on it. Where there is a growing population we can provide choice more easily than where there is a stable population because of the issue of displacement. If we were to simply open, for example, a multidenominational school in an area where there is a reducing population, it would probably result in reducing numbers in other schools. That is something that has to be considered. I would like to see progress and will be working to ensure that we get more progress in that regard.

Deputy Joan Collins asked about general allocation. I think she asked what would happen if someone was not able to get a report. There is also the general allocation for special needs. All schools get a certain amount of resource teaching hours on the basis of the number of students in the school whether it is a boys' school, girls' school, DEIS school, etc.

I believe I answered Deputy McConalogue's question on patronage. He asked me about minor works and the Supplementary Estimate. I have indicated that we expect there will be a Supplementary Estimate in education. The minor works will be part of our consideration a little later in the year. Obviously, I have not announced the detail of the capital education programme as yet, but we would hope to look at that. The Deputy also raised it here with me last year and we were able to deliver it last year. However, I cannot give him a definite answer on that yet.

Senator O'Donnell had a number of questions. The Minister of State, Deputy English, might also want to comment on research funding because it is in his area of responsibility. Apparently the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform reclassified the funding from current to capital; so it is accounted for differently. We can come back to the Senator with a more precise answer on that.