Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

l thank Deputy Cassidy for raising this matter, which I will address on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science. I wish to outline to the House the plans of the Department of Education and Science for the proposed new secondary school in Kilbeggan.

Modernising the facilities in our 3,200 primary and 750 post-primary schools is not an easy task, given the legacy of decades of under investment in this area as well as the need to respond to emerging demands in areas of rapid population growth. Nonetheless, this Government has shown a sincere determination to improve the condition of our school buildings and to ensure the appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum.

This Government has invested in the largest school building programme in the history of the State. Between 1998 and the end of 2004, almost €2 billion was invested in school buildings and in the region of 7,500 large and small projects were completed in schools, including 130 brand new schools and 510 large scale refurbishments and extensions. Funding for school building and renovation projects has increased fivefold since 1997. In 2006, €500 million will be spent on school building projects, compared to just €92 million in 1997. The 2006 allocation is an increase of over 9% in real terms on the 2005 allocation.

At the end of last year, the Department of Education and Science outlined its spending plans for primary and post-primary schools for 2006. With €500 million to be spent on school buildings, there will be more than 1,300 ongoing projects in schools throughout the country. This significant investment will allow the Department to continue to progress its major programme of school building and modernisation, which includes improving new technological equipment and information technology.

On 16 August 2005, the Department of Education and Science published a new area development plan for the N4-M4 corridor which charts the way forward for school planning over the next decade. With regard to the proposed secondary school for Kilbeggan, the N4-M4 area development plan recommended that Meánscoil an Chlochair, Kilbeggan, should be relocated to a greenfield site and could cater for 500 to 550 students. A strict enrolment policy should be in place to ensure priority is given to students within the catchment area.

The Department is anxious to be proactive in planning the needs of rapidly developing areas and this plan equips it with a blueprint for development in an area that will continue to experience rapid change in the coming years. An examination of the school's long-term projected enrolment is currently being carried out by staff in the school planning section of the Department. Factors being taken into account include population growth, demographic trends, current and projected enrolments, recent and planned housing developments and the capacity of existing schools to meet the demand for places. Once the long-term projected enrolment is established, the school will be asked to complete an educational worksheet based on this figure and return it to the Department's senior educationalist, who in turn will draw up a schedule of overall accommodation for the proposed new school. In addition, staff in the school planning section of the Department will arrange a technical inspection of the existing school building to assess its condition. Following the outcome of this assessment, the issue of site acquisition will be examined and officials from the Department will contact all relevant parties.

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