Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter in both general terms and in respect of St. Ciaran's national school in Hartstown, as it gives me an opportunity to outline to the House the extensive actions being taken by the Department of Education and Science to address the school accommodation needs in the Dublin 15 area, including those of the school in question.

The Department is aware that Dublin 15 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 primary school places. Incidentally, the catchment area of St. Ciaran's national school is not a rapidly developing area, but there has been a marked increase in the demand for primary school places.

I am pleased to inform the House that a number of significant interventions have been made by the Department to tackle the general issues to which the Deputy referred. These include measures to increase the capacity of existing schools and the development of new schools to meet the growing demand. All building projects arising from these interventions are awarded a band 1 priority rating under the Department's prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects, which means that they will be delivered in the fastest timeframe possible. There is no point in having round table conferences when the Department has already awarded a rating that means the Department, the Minister and I recognise the fact that this is an emergency area requiring constant attention.

In the Littlepace-Castaheaney area, a new school building has recently been completed at Mary Mother of Hope national school, with an additional project under way with a target delivery date of September 2007. Half of the prefabricated accommodation to which the Deputy referred is intended to ensure that the community has additional classroom space until the building is ready. A new primary school campus is planned for a school site in Ongar, which will have a minimum of 32 classrooms. Part of this project will provide a permanent accommodation solution for Castaheaney Educate Together national school, which also has a target completion date of September 2007. Over and above this provision, significant additional school places will be available this coming September through the expansion of existing provider's facilities.

Discussions took place between Educate Together and the Minister in regard to a possible additional class of junior infants at Castaheaney Educate Together school. The Minister has fast-tracked the recognition of a new primary which will commence operation this year under the patronage of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.

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. As an exceptional measure, the board of management has agreed to take a fourth stream of junior infants this year. In addition, the board of management of St. Mochta's national school, which has an intake of three junior infant classes, has agreed to enrol a fourth class for September 2006. An extension project to cater for this development will also be expedited. Other developments in the Dublin 15 area include the planned expansion of St. Brigid's national school in Castleknock and the extensions to St. Brigid's boys' and girls' national schools, Blanchardstown.

In Tyrrellstown, a new Educate Together school opened in September 2005. The Department has approved the provision of six additional classrooms for September 2006 to cater for new enrolments and special education teachers. It is anticipated that this school will enrol three junior infant classes. Under the scheme for devolved grants, the Church of Ireland national school at Castleknock will also acquire two additional classes.

With regard to St. Ciaran's national school at Hartstown, the Department was put on notice last week that it may require additional accommodation for next September to facilitate an extra junior infant intake. However, in light of all the interventions made by the Department in the Dublin 15 area, the board wanted to be definite that potential enrolments would materialise. It is important to realise that it is common practice in areas of rapid population development for parents to enrol their children in more than one school. However, as Deputy Burton has stated, and I agree with her, several of the parents affected by the restriction on admissions to St. Ciaran's national school at Hartstown lived in the immediate area.

See this speech in context