Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and also to outline the current position in relation to the building project proposed for Le Chéile Educate Together national school, Mornington Road, Drogheda.

The modernisation of facilities in approximately 3,200 primary and 730 post-primary schools is not an easy task given the legacy of decades of under-investment in this area as well as the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth. Nonetheless, the Government has shown a consistent 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.

The Government has dramatically increased investment in the school building programme from just over €90 million back in 1997 to almost €600 million this year. Under the lifetime of the national development plan, almost €4.5 billion will be invested in schools. This is an unprecedented level of capital investment which reflects the commitment of the Government to continue its programme of sustained investment in primary and post-primary schools.

As the Deputy may be aware, a developing areas unit was set up recently in the Department to focus on the school accommodation needs of rapidly developing areas. The main emphasis in 2008 is on providing sufficient school places in these developing areas, as well as delivering improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary school accommodation throughout the country.

The Le Chéile Educate Together project has advanced to the stage where the Department has agreed the schedule of accommodation for a new 16-classroom school. The site required for the new school has now been acquired and the process of appointing a design team has commenced. The Department published the advertisement seeking qualified consultants on the public procurement website in January 2008. These pre-qualification questionnaires have been received in the Department for assessment and the Department will be in contact with the school authorities on this matter as soon as possible.

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