Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to outline to the House the actions being taken by the Department of Education and Science to address the school accommodation needs of the Ongar area of Dublin 15. The Department of Education and Science has acknowledged that the population surge in Dublin 15 has created a significant extra demand for primary school places. This unforeseen surge has been created, in the main, by occupancy rates greater than those predicted by the local authority for housing developments. This appears to have arisen largely because families have moved into the area.

Having found itself in a position where a considerable amount of additional primary school accommodation was urgently needed, the Department moved quickly to provide this accommodation by extending existing schools and providing a number of completely new schools. The Department is particularly appreciative of the boards of management which rose to the challenge of meeting the needs of their communities.

All the projects concerned, including extension projects, attract a band one priority rating under the prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects. The delivery of building projects for the new schools is being expedited by using generic repeat designs or the design and build method where generic repeat designs are not feasible. This approach will ensure that school accommodation is delivered in the fastest timeframe possible and is a clear indication of the urgency with which the Department regards the provision of educational infrastructure in the area.

The Department took the exceptional measure of recognising a new school, St. Benedict's Ongar National School, outside the new schools advisory committee process in order to ensure that places will be available for eligible pupils for next September. This is one of the schools which will be permanently located on the Ongar site.

The Department wishes to be unequivocal about what is happening on the Ongar site. This site is being developed on a phased basis. The focus for the Department is, in the first instance, on providing a new permanent school building for Castaheany Educate Together school on the site by September 2007. This is a challenging timeframe in terms of dealing with the design, planning permission and construction phases of the project. The project will be followed by a permanent school building for St. Benedict's Ongar National School. Both schools will have a separate identity on the site. One will be a two stream facility, the other will be a three stream facility. It is expected that further provisions will be made in other locations in the area.

Officials in the Department had extensive discussions with Fingal County Council prior to lodging the application for planning permission for the first phase of the project with a view to addressing any planning issues arising. It is a matter for the planning processes to iron out any remaining issues.

The Ongar site, which comprises four acres, is reserved for educational use rather than for one school or school type. It is in the ownership of the Department of Education and Science and there is no question of such a large parcel of scarce and costly land being dedicated to one educational facility when the needs of the community exceed what one school is able to provide. It is the function of the Department to assess the educational needs of the constituent parts of any given community and to deliver infrastructure to meet those needs in the context of statutory regulations such as planning permission requirements.

The best technical advice available to the Department indicates that, with imaginative and creative design, the site has the capacity to accommodate two primary schools without compromising standards. The Department will be pressing ahead with its plans in this regard. Issues such as access and traffic management will be dealt with under the planning procedures.

Multi-school campus arrangements will become a feature of the educational landscape. In Fingal County Council, these campus style arrangements will have the added benefit of access to shared community facilities, which will enhance the educational experience of the pupils attending the schools and benefit the community at large. The Department hopes to be able to test this model with all due haste but the first priority is to ensure that all eligible pupils in Dublin 15 are able to attend school.

The provisions being made on the Ongar site are necessary to match demand. The Department has the land to make the required provision and the plans are fully in train to deliver it.

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