Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputies Ring and Cowley for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the proposals of the Department of Education and Science regarding the provision of a new facility for Gaelscoil na Cruaiche, Westport, County Mayo. Modernising facilities in our 3,200 primary and 750 post-primary schools is not an easy task given the legacy of decades of underinvestment in this area and the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth.

None the less, since taking office, this Government has shown a sincere determination to improve the condition of our school buildings and ensure the appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum. We progressively increased funding for the school modernisation programme in recent years to achieve our goal, with an aggregate total of almost €2 billion allocated for this purpose since 1998, the largest investment programme in the history of the State.

Since the beginning of the year, the Minister for Education and Science has made a number of announcements relating to the schools building and modernisation programme. This year alone, €270 million will be allocated to primary schools and €223 million to post-primary schools for building works. The Minister recently announced an investment of €555 million over the next four years in projects to be delivered by way of public private partnerships.

Gaelscoil na Cruaiche opened in September 1996 with provisional recognition and was then granted permanent recognition in 2000. The school is currently accommodated in prefabricated classrooms on a three quarter acre site in the town of Westport. The cost of site and classroom rental is grant-aided by the Department of Education and Science at the rate of 95%. Provision is built into the schools building programme to enable schools to address urgent health and safety problems. Primary schools are given an annual allocation, currently amounting to €3,809 plus €12.70 per pupil under the grant scheme for minor works, which can be used entirely at the discretion of school management to address basic health and safety issues relating to the school itself and its infrastructure.

The property management section of the Office of Public Works, which purchases sites for new schools on behalf of the Department of Education and Science, was requested to explore the possibility of acquiring a site for Gaelscoil na Cruaiche. Following the most recent advertisement placed by the OPW seeking proposals of possible sites, a number of responses were received. The OPW arranged technical assessments of a number of sites to consider their suitability as a location for the Gaelscoil. The OPW has now commenced negotiation for the purchase of a site for the school.

Due to commercial sensitivities, I am unable to comment further on specific site acquisitions but I can assure the Deputies that the permanent accommodation needs of this school are being addressed as expeditiously as possible and that the provision of a permanent building for the school will be progressed in the context of the school buildings and modernisation programme when the site has been acquired.

As the board and patrons are already aware, the provision of interim accommodation remains the responsibility of the board.

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