Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Deenihan for raising this matter because it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the position regarding the provision of a new school building for the school to which he refers at Blennerville, Tralee, County Kerry.

The school in question is a co-educational facility with a current enrolment of 157 pupils, which represents a 26% increase in the past five years. It has a staffing level of a principal, five mainstream teachers and two learning support teachers. The school authority has applied for large-scale capital funding for a new building and the Department has acquired a site for the provision of an eight classroom generic repeat design building.

As outlined to the House on many occasions, all applications for large-scale capital funding are assessed against published prioritisation criteria by the planning and building unit of the Department of Education and Science. Under these criteria, each application is assigned a band rating that reflects the type and urgency of works required. A band 2 rating has been assigned to the Blennerville project. This is the second highest rating possible and reflects the fact that the school has existing accommodation but that this needs to be replaced. This approach ensures openness and transparency in respect of how capital funding is allocated to projects and that funding is targeted at the projects that are most in need. It also ensures that there is an orderly flow of projects through the school building and modernisation programme.

The next step for the project is the appointment of a design team. This will be considered on an ongoing basis consistent with the band rating assigned to the project in the context of competing priorities from higher band rated projects and the funding available.

I again thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I assure him that the Minister and her Department are committed to providing suitable high quality accommodation for Blennerville national school at the earliest possible date.

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