Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

I apologise to the House and Deputy Burton for the Minister, Deputy Hanafin's, inability to attend. However, on her behalf, I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and for giving me the opportunity to outline the actions being taken by the Department of Education and Science to address the school accommodation needs of the Dublin 15 area in general.

The Minister is fully conscious that the Dublin 15 area is one of the most rapidly developing areas in the country and, as a result, there has been a marked increase in the demand for school places, particularly at primary level. The Department is taking a number of immediate measures to increase the capacity of existing schools in the area concerned along with the development of new schools to meet this growing demand.

A building project at Sacred Heart national school, Huntstown, will increase its capacity to 32 classrooms. This project is nearing completion. In addition, a building project to provide a new school building for Mary Mother of Hope national school is currently on site and should be ready for use this September. To further expand capacity at this school, the Department has approached the school's board of management to discuss the possibility of expanding the school to cater for a four stream intake at junior infant level for next September. This could be achieved by the school expanding to a 32 classroom school or reorganising to form a junior and senior school.

The area in question is also served by Castaheaney Educate Together national school. The Department is currently pursuing the issue of site acquisition for this school and the provision of a permanent school building for it will be prioritised in the Department. It is envisaged that the demand for places will be such that this school may need to grow to a 24 classroom school which would facilitate an annual intake of three junior infant classes. In the interim, temporary accommodation will be provided to meet the school's immediate needs for next September.

Recently the Department met the management authorities of St. Patrick's national school, Diswellstown, and St. Francis Xavier junior national school to discuss enrolments for September 2005. Following this meeting, the Department sanctioned provision of a fourth temporary classroom for St. Patrick's which will enable it to offer places to a further 30 children on its waiting list.

The Department also sanctioned provision of two temporary classrooms for St. Patrick's junior national school, Corduff, to cater for the increased demand for junior infant places. An application to establish a new Educate Together primary school in Tyrellstown is under consideration with the new schools' advisory committee and a decision on this will be made in the near future. The Department is confident the implementation of the measures I have outlined will alleviate the demand for pupil places in this rapidly developing area.

As to the political charge that the Minister is callous, any neutral observer will appreciate she is very caring and most anxious to facilitate the many children in this growing and developing area of Dublin 15. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter.

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