Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Cregan for raising this matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline to this House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and also to outline the position regarding the provision of a replacement playground at St. James's school, Cappagh, County Limerick.

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. However, since taking office, this Government has shown a focused determination to improve the condition of our school buildings and to ensure that the appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum.

The school in question, St. James's school, Cappagh, is a co-educational primary school with a September 2006 enrolment of 103 pupils. Enrolments at this school have been relatively stable with a slight increase in recent years, from 86 pupils in 2002 to 103 pupils in 2006.

The school originally submitted an application to the Department of Education and Science for major capital investment in its existing buildings. Having considered the school's accommodation needs, the school authorities were offered and accepted funding under the small schools initiative in 2005 to provide accommodation suitable to that of a four teacher school. This building project is currently under construction.

The school authorities made an application for the provision of a hardcourt play area under the summer works scheme 2007. Under the published prioritisation criteria governing this scheme, external environment projects, such as the provision of hard play areas fall into category 10. Unfortunately this particular category was not reached this year. The management of the school has appealed the decision and this appeal is currently under consideration in the Department of Education and Science.

I wish to inform the House that more than 1,100 modernisation projects to greatly improve facilities at schools under the 2007 summer works scheme were announced by the Department of Education and Science on 8 January 2007. A total of 641 primary schools and 324 post-primary schools around the country will receive funding to complete essential small scale capital projects.

I thank the Deputy again for raising this matter and allowing me, on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science who is unable to be here as she is at this time on RTE discussing education matters, to outline the progress being made under the school building and modernisation programme and the position regarding the application for the provision of a replacement playground at St. James's school, Cappagh, County Limerick.

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