Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Mary Hanafin. The Minister thanks the Deputy for raising the matter as it affords her an opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and the position regarding the application for an extension to Dromclough national school, Listowel, County Kerry.

Modernising facilities in our schools presents major challenges given the legacy of underinvestment and the need to respond to emerging issues in areas of rapid population growth. The Government has demonstrated a commitment to improving the condition of our school buildings and ensuring accommodation facilities are made available to support a broad and balanced curriculum. This year alone, more than €540 million is being spent on school building and modernisation projects. Since 1997, a total of €3 billion has been invested in school buildings and this has delivered in excess of 7,800 projects.

While continuing to build on past achievements, investment this year has focused in particular on the provision of school accommodation in areas where the population is growing at a rapid rate. As further evidence of the Government's commitment, funding under the national development plan of approximately €4.5 billion will be invested in schools in the coming years.

In addition to the record levels of investment I have outlined, the programme for Government contains a wide range of commitments which will maintain momentum in the school building programme. I am sure Deputies will agree that, taken together with the committed funding in the coming years, there is clear evidence of the priority accorded to school building by the Government.

Furthermore, to reduce red tape and allow projects to progress at a faster pace, 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 together with the unprecedented level of funding available, these initiatives ensure building projects are delivered in the fastest timeframe possible.

Turning to the school in question, Dromclough national school is a co-educational primary school with a current enrolment of 194 pupils. Enrolments at this school have increased in recent years from 164 pupils in 2001. The school has a current staffing of a principal, seven mainstream assistants and three learning support-resource teachers.

The school has submitted an application to the Department for an extension 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 a principal, eight mainstream assistants and appropriate ancillary accommodation. The next step is to carry out a technical investigation of the existing building and site to determine its suitability. When this inspection has been completed the project will be progressed in the context of the school building and modernisation programme. I will convey to the Minister the Deputy's concern that the project be progressed as quickly as possible.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and allowing me to outline the progress being made under the school building and modernisation programme and the position regarding the application for an extension to Dromclough national school, Listowel, County Kerry.

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