Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I will deal with sites shortly. In the Littlepace-Castaheaney area a new school building has recently been completed at Mary Mother of Hope national school and an additional project is under way with a target delivery date of September 2007. In addition, a 32-classroom campus is planned for a school site in Ongar. Under the arrangement between the Department and Fingal County Council the site at Ongar has been secured and transferred to the council. That happened last week. The project will provide a permanent accommodation solution for Castaheaney Educate Together national school. It also has a target completion date of September 2007. This area is also served by the Sacred Heart national school in Huntstown where an extension project to provide a 32-classroom school is nearing completion.

The Deputy also referred to the Tyrellstown area. Tyrellstown Educate Together was opened some weeks ago and planning to provide permanent accommodation is at an advanced stage in the area. In the Diswellstown area, St. Patrick's national school has recently moved into a new 24-classroom school. This will facilitate an annual three-stream intake. However, as an exceptional matter the board of management is considering taking a fourth stream of junior infants this year. In addition to this, the Department is in discussions with St. Mochta's national School regarding the possibility of expanding it to cater for an annual four-stream intake. As the Deputy is aware, the school currently has an intake of three junior infant classes. An extension to cater for this development will also attract a band one priority rating.

Other developments in the Dublin 15 area include the planned expansion of St. Brigid's national school in Castleknock and extensions to St. Brigid's boys and girls national schools, Blanchardstown. Extensive reference was made by the Deputy to semi-permanent accommodation. The build at the site at Ongar of additional classroom capacity will be permanent accommodation and will not involve the use of semi-permanent accommodation. Due to the level of demand emanating from the Dublin 15 area, the need to make further provision at primary level in addition to that outlined is being kept under continuous review by the Department of Education and Science. Certainly any proposals the Deputy may wish to make in this regard will be entertained at the Department.

I am confident the measures outlined will assist in alleviating the immediate demand for pupil places in the area. In regard to the various points referred to by the Deputy I wish to deal with the question of permanent buildings for Castaheany Educate Together primary school. The allocation made by the Minister, and announced by the Minister in January, provided the necessary resources and the site has been acquired. The priority must be to establish this school as rapidly as possible. Likewise the extension of a further 16 classrooms of permanent accommodation at Mary Mother of Hope school must take place as quickly as possible. In regard to acquisition of sites the Minister has entered into an arrangement with Fingal County Council to identify sites for new primary schools in the area.

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