Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputies for raising this matter and giving me an opportunity to reply on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science. I will outline to the House the strategy being implemented by the Department of Education and Science to ensure there is adequate primary school provision for the rapidly expanding area of Laytown and Bettystown in County Meath, not just for next September but well into the future. There was just one primary school — Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh — in the Laytown and Bettystown area before the start of the current school year. At that time, the school was a fully vertical co-educational facility that catered for pupils from junior infants to sixth class. The relevant parish applied in 2004 for approval to establish a second primary school in the area. The Department of Education and Science sanctioned the recognition of the new school, with effect from 1 September 2005. The new school is called Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa, as the Deputies have said.

The Department supported a local agreement that the new school would be a junior school and the existing school, Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh, would become a senior school. The effect of this agreement is that Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa caters for pupils from junior infants to second class and Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh caters for pupils from third class to sixth class. To prevent disruption to existing pupils, it was agreed that children attending Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh would be allowed to continue in that school. It was also agreed that the existing senior infants and first and second classes at Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh would be phased out over the next few years. In addition, as an exceptional matter, the Department allowed Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh to enrol a junior infant class in September 2005 to meet the educational needs of the area. The school authorities at Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh were informed that the school would not be allowed to enrol new pupils in junior infants to second class from 2006 onwards, as to do so would undermine the development of Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa, which is specifically dedicated to these class groups.

Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa opened with provisional recognition in temporary accommodation in September 2005 on the same campus as Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh. It had an enrolment of 91 pupils and a staffing of a principal and three mainstream classroom assistants, a learning support teacher and a language support teacher. Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa has examined its accommodation needs for the new school year and has applied for five additional prefabs to cater for its 2006-07 enrolments. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that this provision has been approved by the Department of Education and Science and that steps are being taken by the school authorities for its delivery.

The patron of Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa has confirmed that he intends to acquire land and make a site available for the purpose of permanent accommodation for the school. The Department looks forward to progressing a project for the school when this matter has been finalised by the patron. The project in question will attract a band 1 priority rating under the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects. That the school has secured the highest possible band rating is a clear indication of the importance the Department attaches to the delivery of permanent accommodation for the school and extra provision for the locality. The Department of Education and Science will not be found wanting in developing the project when the patron has concluded the process of site acquisition. I thank the Deputies for raising this matter.

I wish to inform Deputy Joe Higgins that the Taoiseach's comments yesterday related to schools in our constituency of Dublin West and not in County Meath. I have been advised that the Taoiseach intended to refer to the provision of primary schools in the west Dublin area rather than in the Laytown and Bettystown area of County Meath.

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