Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)

As the Minister of State, Deputy Wallace, is aware, Ballintemple national school on Crab Lane in Cork is full and therefore unable to cope with the increasing demand for school places within the parish. It is in the unenviable position of being unable to offer junior infant places to nine families from the parish for 2008. Furthermore, the 2009 and 2010 junior infant classes are greatly over-subscribed by families from within the parish. The school is not in a position to cater for the additional demand which will undoubtedly arise when the Elderwood and Belview Abbey developments, both of which are within the parish boundaries, have been completed. It is baffling that so much development was allowed to take place in the immediate vicinity of the school without any provision being made for the education of the children living in the houses in question. I would like that to be clarified on the Adjournment this evening.

As the Minister of State is probably aware, the SMA Fathers have donated a 1.5 acre site to the school, free of charge, to solve this problem. The Department of Education and Science has assessed the site, which is situated behind the SMA church on the Blackrock Road, and deemed it suitable for the construction of a 12-teacher school for the parish of Ballintemple. I am concerned that progress in appointing a design team has been slow, however, especially as the project needs to be advanced as a matter of urgency. I share the view of the school's board of management and the parents who are sending their children to the school that the generous donation of this valuable site should give the Department enough impetus to engage in a more realistic way with the development of the school and to make progress with this scheme.

I would like to pick up on two points which were made in the reply I received from the Minister when I tabled a parliamentary question on this issue. The Minister argued that the school should proceed with the acquisition of the site that has been offered to it by the SMA Fathers. That is not an issue, however, because the site to be acquired will be given to the school free of charge. The Minister informed me that the building project that is required will be considered in the context of the multi-annual schools building and modernisation programme. I would like to emphasise that there are no acquisition difficulties and that there is a clear and demonstrable need for a new school building to be developed. There are no obstacles to the completion of the acquisition of the school site.

The sole outstanding issue relates to whether the capital grant for the construction of the school will be provided for in this year's budget. Is it in the budget or not? What advice can the Minister for Education and Science give the school authorities about the Crab Lane school? When does she envisage that the school will be ready to enrol additional pupils, which is something to which she alluded in her response to my parliamentary question? Is a timeframe in place for the opening of the new school? Will the school be built by conventional public tender, rather than by means of public private partnership?

I accept that the Standing Orders of the House can be quite rigid. However, I have deliberately not used the five minutes available to me so that I will have time to respond to the Minister of State's comments. I hope she will facilitate my wish to organise the debate in this manner, in the interests of getting conclusive information to help the school to make progress with this project.

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