Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I am conscious of the issues raised by the Deputy and in particular the pressures for places in some schools and colleges in the greater Dublin area and in those areas within commuting distance of Dublin which are experiencing major population growth. To this end my Department is prioritising the provision of new and enhanced educational facilities in these areas. The prioritisation criteria which were recently revised in consultation with the education partners allocates a top priority band one rating to school building projects in such areas.

My Department is included among the prescribed authorities to whom local authorities are statutorily obliged to send draft development plans or proposed variations to development plans for comment. As a matter of course, meetings are arranged with local authorities to establish the location, scale and pace of any major proposed developments and their possible implications for school provision to ensure as far as possible the timely delivery of the required education infrastructure.

The areas covered in the first phase of this approach to school planning include north Dublin, south Louth and mid-Meath in one plan and a separate plan for the N4-M4 route running from Leixlip to Kilbeggan and including Maynooth, Celbridge, Kilcock, Edenderry and rapidly developing villages and towns on that route.

In regard to the availability and costs of sites for school buildings, the Deputy will be aware of the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000. All these measures taken in combination will enable us to build on the progress made to date and respond ever more effectively to emerging need.

The Deputy has also raised the matter of site acquisition and ensuring that sites are available at affordable prices. The position is that my Department, working with the local authorities, causes land to be reserved for school development in particular areas. While it would be fair to say that the cost of sites impacts on the overall capital envelope available for school buildings, it is important to note that the question of acquiring suitable land per se rarely in practice slows up the delivery of a school building project in a rapidly developing area.

There is an issue whether my Department ends up paying a fair and reasonable price for school sites and what contribution, if any, a developer should make. The provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000 do not place an onus on developers to provide school sites other than at market rates. I am keeping an open mind as to whether legislative change might be of assistance or prove the best way forward. Any changes in this area would require careful consideration in the context of constitutional protection for private property and in weighing up how any reduction in the price per acre of any land given for schools development might impact on the unit costs and affordability of houses developed on the remaining lands.

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