Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

As the Deputy will be aware, agreement was reached some time ago on the rationalisation of post-primary education provision in Tuam. Agreement has been reached with the relevant trustees to form a single boys and a single girls school, each to cater for a long-term projected enrolment of 700 pupils. The vocational school is not part of either amalgamation process.

The school planning section of the Department of Education and Science has agreed with the management authorities of both schools involved in the amalgamation that the optimum plan to address the accommodation needs of the single school, which will result from the amalgamation, is to extend facilities at St. Jarlath's College and to refurbish the existing facilities. The objective is to ensure facilities at the new school will serve the needs of the school community well into the future.

The project at Tuam has been assessed and assigned a band 1.4 rating in accordance with the revised prioritisation criteria published earlier this year following consultation with the education partners. This band rating will positively influence the timescale for delivery of this project. Officials in the Department are in regular contact with the school authorities to progress the detailed preliminary work necessary to facilitate this large-scale building project.

The Deputy will be aware that the Minister for Education and Science recently announced the first phase of the 2005 school building programme, which provided details of 122 major school building projects countrywide. This announcement is the first in a series that the Minister plans to make in the coming period on the schools building and modernisation programme, which will include details of schools identified as suitable for construction under public private partnerships; an expansion of the number of schools that will be invited to deliver their building projects on the basis of devolved funding; details of schools with projects approved under the 2005 summer works scheme; schools whose projects will further progress through the design process; and schools that will be authorised to commence architectural planning.

The Deputy would like St. Jarlath's to fall into the latter two categories. I assure him that the needs of St. Patrick's and St. Jarlath's are being considered in this context and I will convey his comments to the Minister. It is difficult to read between the lines on these projects but a number of people may look on this proposal too optimistically. While further phases must be undertaken, the last phase to be announced will be the most significant. Progress will be possible during the year. I note the Deputy's frustrations and I will speak to the Minister.

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