Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I will certainly impress upon the Minister for Education and Science the importance of the project. I look forward to returning to Donegal this winter and again in future years, and I hope to see a brand new shiny school there.

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 and also to outline the position regarding the provision of additional accommodation at Scoil Mhuire, Creeslough, County Donegal.

Modernising facilities in our schools presents major challenges given the legacy of underinvestment as well as the need to respond to emerging challenges in areas of rapid population growth. Bearing this in mind, this Government has demonstrated a commitment to improve the conditions of our school buildings and ensure accommodation supports are available for a broad and balanced curriculum.

This year, over €540 million will be spent on school building and modernisation projects. Since 1997, a total of €3 billion has been invested in school buildings and this has delivered more than 7,800 school building projects. Building on past achievements, this investment will focus in particular on the provision of school accommodation in areas where the population is growing at a rapid rate. As further evidence of our commitment, NDP funding of approximately €4.5 billion will be invested in schools in the coming years.

In addition to the record levels of investment, the programme for Government contains a wide range of commitments to build on and maintain the momentum of the school building programme. Taken together with the committed funding in the coming years, this is evidence of the priority accorded to school building by the Government.

On top of this, to reduce red tape and allow projects to move faster, responsibility for smaller projects has been devolved to school level. Standard designs have also been developed for eight and 16-classroom schools to facilitate speedier delivery of projects and save on design fees. The design and build method is also used to expedite delivery where the use of standard designs is not possible. Taken with the unprecedented level of funding available, these initiatives ensure that building projects are delivered in the fastest timeframe possible.

Scoil Mhuire, Creeslough, is a co-educational primary school with a September 2007 enrolment of 119 pupils. Enrolments at this school have decreased in recent years from 125 pupils in 2001 to 119 pupils in 2007. The school has a current staffing of principal, four mainstream assistants, two learning support-resource teachers and one Breaking the Cycle post.

The school has submitted an application to the Department for capital funding towards the provision of additional accommodation and the long-term staffing figure on which accommodation needs will be based has been determined and notified to the school authority. It has been agreed that appropriate accommodation should be provided to cater for a long-term projected staffing of principal, eight mainstream assistants and appropriate ancillary accommodation. The building project required will be considered in the context of the multi-annual school building and modernisation programme.

I thank the Deputy once again for raising this matter and allowing me to outline the progress being made under the school building and modernisation programme and the position for the provision for a new school building at Scoil Mhuire, Creeslough, County Donegal.

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