Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keefe.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the Department's position regarding St. Joseph's secondary school, Tulla, County Clare.

St. Joseph's secondary school, which is located in a Clár area, has a current enrolment of 441 pupils. The school initially applied for an extension and refurbishment project. This application was assessed and was assigned a band two rating under the band rating system operated by the Department. The band rating system involves all applications for capital funding being assessed in the planning and building unit of the Department. The assessment process determines the extent and type of need presenting, based on the demographics of an area, proposed housing developments, condition of buildings, site capacity and so forth, leading ultimately to an appropriate accommodation solution.

Projects are selected for inclusion in the school building and modernisation programme on the basis of priority of need. This is reflected in the band rating assigned to a project which indicates the urgency, type and extent of work required at a school.

Building projects move through the school building and modernisation programme consistent with the band rating assigned to them. St. Joseph's has a rating of 2. This rating reflects the fact that it has an accommodation deficit, that is, that the current school accommodation is not sufficient to meet the numbers enrolled in the school. At present, the school is making use of a number of prefabs to supplement the permanent accommodation on site. The long-term projected enrolment for the school was originally assessed at 500 and a schedule of accommodation was drawn up and agreed on this basis. However, the current enrolment is 441. This figure represents a 5% decline on the enrolment of 466 in 2003. In light of the trend in enrolments in the school in past five years, the application is being reassessed to review the optimum solution to the school's needs.

The Minister is aware that the trustees of the school, the Mercy Order, have entered into negotiations with a local landowner regarding the possible purchase of a site in Tulla for use as a school. The school has been in contact with the Department seeking a written commitment from the Department that its preferred option for the school is a new second level school on a greenfield site. However, as the Deputy will understand, it would not be prudent for the Department to give any such open-ended commitment which would, in effect, limit the Department's scope for manoeuvre in the future regarding the optimum solution for secondary school services in east Clare.

The Department will continue to assess the needs of St. Joseph's and the east Clare region generally and progress on any building projects will be considered in the context of the resources available under the multi-annual building programme.

The final decision on the most appropriate solution to the accommodation needs of the area will include consideration of the possibility of building a new school on any suitable sites that are available in the area. However, this option will only be implemented if it results in the optimum solution for the school and the area and provides value for money for the taxpayer.

The Department will be in contact with the school authorities directly when their project is likely to be progressed. Progress will be considered in the context of the band rating assigned to the project and the availability of resources.

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