Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising the matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects.

Modernising facilities in our 3,200 primary and 750 post-primary schools is not an easy task given the legacy of decades of underinvestment in this area as well as the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth. Nonetheless, 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.

Under the National Development Plan 2007-2013, funding of €4.5 billion will be invested in the first and second level schools modernisation and development programme. This unprecedented level of investment will allow us to meet the needs of a growing school population, to modernise existing school facilities and to provide for curriculum reform and innovation.

Turning to the specific matter in hand, St. Mary's community college is the only post-primary school in Buttevant and is a co-educational provider with a current enrolment of 186 mainstream pupils. Originally, County Cork VEC applied to the school planning section of the Department of Education and Science for funding towards the provision of a new school building on a greenfield site for St. Mary's community college. The proposed new school building was to cater for a long-term projected enrolment of 325 pupils and the project reached an early stage of architectural planning in 2001. At that time, the VEC identified a site for the new school and paid a deposit. The site acquisition was not finalised for a number of reasons and the vendors returned the deposit.

In light of declining enrolments at the school, the school planning section of the Department carried out a review of second level education provision in the area in consultation with the school authority. This review took into account factors such as enrolment trends at the school, the impact of projected housing developments and the existing school provision in the general area. On completion of this review, the Department's initial decision to provide a new school on a greenfield site in Buttevant was confirmed and officials in the school planning section are currently finalising the long-term projected enrolment for this project.

Approval was given to County Cork VEC to identify a suitable site for the project and a site has now been acquired for that purpose. The building project required to deliver the new accommodation will be considered in the context of the multi-annual school building and modernisation programme.

Once again, I thank the Deputy for raising this matter which allows me the opportunity to outline the position of St. Mary's community college.

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