Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I make this reply on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it affords the Minister the opportunity to outline the open and transparent process in place for the recognition of new primary schools and the position concerning the proposed Educate Together school in Doughiska.

The new schools advisory committee, NSAC, an independent body, assesses all applications for recognition against published criteria. It conducts an open and transparent public consultation process as part of this assessment. The committee's annual programme of work culminates in a report with recommendations on the granting of recognition to applicants. The Department of Education and Science is happy to support all new schools where it has been clearly demonstrated, in accordance with the criteria, that a demand exists.

This process has resulted in the establishment of a significant number of new multidenominational primary schools in recent years. Patrons wishing to establish new schools must identify the level of demand for the provision of education proposed and that potential enrolment will meet certain minimum targets. Under this process, all patron bodies are treated on an equal footing. Schools that meet the criteria are generally awarded provisional recognition at the outset. The question of permanent recognition is considered when the school's long-term viability has been demonstrated and the school is operating in accordance with the relevant provisions governing the operation of primary schools.

It is a condition of provisional recognition that the patron provides suitable accommodation in the stated area, which must be capable of meeting the needs of the school. When permanent recognition is granted to a school, the Department will then consider an application for permanent accommodation from the school authorities.

Turning to the specific matter in hand, following consideration by the new schools advisory committee, the Department granted recognition to a new national school in Galway city east under the patronage of Educate Together. While the application was for a September 2006 start-up, Educate Together advised the Department in April 2006 that it was unable to find suitable accommodation and wished to preserve this recognition to September 2007 and the Department agreed with this request.

The Deputy may wish to note that the Department of Education and Science has previously announced, as part of the Department's public private partnership programme 2005-09, the provision of accommodation for a primary and post-primary school in the Doughiska location by way of a shared campus. The project has already been assigned a band 1 priority rating under the published prioritisation criteria for largescale building projects. This is the highest banding possible and is a clear indication of the priority the Department attaches to the delivery of the project. I hope the discussion to which Deputy Michael Higgins referred as taking place between Galway City Council and the Department can be brought to a speedy conclusion. It is clear from the Minister's reply this evening that there is no resources issue on the part of the Department of Education and Science. The project has been assigned the highest possible priority in terms of allocation of resources within the Department. I hope that whatever outstanding issues exist between the Department and the city council can be resolved so that a rapid identification of a site, as distinct from a locale, can be made.

On the wider issues raised by the Deputy, I attended a hearing in Geneva in September on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and dealt there with the issues pertaining to our education system. The new schools advisory process is designed to ensure equality of access for all the different patrons recognised under the education legislation in the establishment of primary schools. It is important that the choice of parents in this matter, a constitutional right, is respected and facilitated by the State.

In addition, I accept that because Educate Together is a new patron, a substantial number of schools are still in temporary accommodation. The standard of temporary accommodation is higher than it was in the past, but every effort is being made in the Department to progress these schools into permanent accommodation on sites acquired for that purpose.

See this speech in context