Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for affording me the opportunity to outline the proposals of the Department of Education and Science regarding the provision of a new community school in Ballinamore, County Leitrim, and also the need for a new school in Dromore. Modernising 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 needs in areas of rapid population growth. Nonetheless, since taking office, the Government has shown a focused 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. As evidence of this commitment, approximately 1,300 building and modernisation projects will be active in our primary and post-primary schools during 2006. More than €500 million is being spent on primary and post-primary projects throughout the country. This unprecedented capital investment is testament to the importance this Government places to improving the quality of accommodation in our schools.

I refer to the specific matters raised. In 1994 two second level schools, Our Lady of Fatima convent secondary school and St. Feilim's College, amalgamated in Ballinamore. The newly amalgamated school continued to operate from two separate buildings situated half a mile apart. In 2001, a further amalgamation was agreed involving the local vocational school and a common enrolment policy was put in place. The management model for the proposed school was referred to the then Minister for Education who, in May 2001, decided in favour of a community school. The long-term projected enrolment for the new community school is expected to be approximately 400 pupils. The need for a new school building to house the amalgamated schools is acknowledged by the Department and, as an amalgamation project, the building project for the new community school has a band rating of 1.4 in line with the revised prioritisation criteria.

A suitable site for the new school building is required before architectural planning can commence. The property management section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of the Department of Education and Science in site acquisitions generally, has been exploring the possibility of acquiring a site for Ballinamore community school. A number of options have been considered, including the site of one of the existing schools as the site of amalgamation. The preferred option, however, is the location of the new school on a greenfield site. Over the past few years a number of sites have been identified as a location for the proposed new school but their acquisition met with difficulties. Following a re-advertisement for sites, new proposals were received. All site options were examined by the OPW, which has identified what it considers to be the most suitable site available. The Department has conveyed its approval to the OPW to pursue the acquisition of this site as soon as possible. Due to the commercial sensitivities of site acquisitions, it is not proposed at this stage to identify specific sites under consideration. When a suitable site has been secured, the building project for Ballinamore will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2006-2010.

The building project for Dromore West national school was one of a number approved by the Department announced 2005 to progress to architectural planning. This project is at stage 3 — developed sketch scheme. The brief is to provide adequate accommodation for a principal and four classroom teachers, with the possibility of future expansion. A letter issued to the board of management in May 2006 requesting additional stage 3 information, which was submitted by the board in August 2006. The stage 3 submission received in the Department deviated from the agreed brief for the building project and, consequently, the Department wrote to the board of management seeking a revised stage 3, in accordance with the agreed brief. When the revised stage 3 submission is received in the Department, a meeting will be convened, which will involve the board of management representative and the design team presenting the submission, outlining key aspects of same. Any issues or commentary by the Department will be addressed at the meeting and the minutes of the meeting will issue to the school afterwards as a formal record of the meeting.

It is envisaged that, unless there are very exceptional circumstances involved, the meeting will be sufficient to authorise the project to progress to the next stage of architectural planning, subject, if necessary, to formal confirmation by the school and the design team that issues raised by the Department have been addressed. In the case of all large capital projects on hand within the school building section, progression of projects to construction will be considered in the context of the school building programme.

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