Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

Funding to address the capital investment requirements of approximately 3,200 primary and 730 post-primary schools is ongoing. The Government has dramatically increased investment in the school building programme from just over €90 million in 1997 to €586.2 million this year. During the lifetime of the national development plan, almost €4.5 billion will be invested in schools, an unprecedented level of capital investment that reflects the Government's commitment to continue its programme of sustained investment in primary and post-primary schools.

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

Regarding Portlaoise generally, the developing areas unit has identified the town as an area of rapid development. In this regard, a decision has already been taken to provide three new post-primary schools and to amalgamate and expand primary provision to meet the area's growing needs. Educational provision at post-primary level needed to be addressed first and a new VEC school building has already been delivered. Two other post-primary school building projects are due to go on site this year and are being delivered by way of public private partnership. Each will cater for 850 pupils.

Now that the accommodation requirements of the town at post-primary level are well on their way to being addressed, it is proposed to deal with the primary school requirements. Approval in principle has been given for three large-scale primary building projects in Portlaoise, which will improve conditions for the schools concerned and provide much needed extra school places. Two new greenfield site schools will be built to facilitate the amalgamation of Scoil Náisúnta an Chroí Naofa, St. Paul's primary school and Scoil Náisúnta Mhuire. The new facilities will be configured as a junior and senior school and will cater for 1,600 pupils. The school authorities were given approval to appoint design teams and my Department is currently considering the nominees for ratification.

The third project is the extension of Scoil Bhríde, Knockmay, to create a 32-classroom school catering for 800 pupils. The school authorities were given approval to appoint design teams and my Department is also currently considering the nominees for this project for ratification. Progress on these proposed works will be considered on an ongoing basis in the context of the Department's multi-annual school building and modernisation programme

Due to the level of demand for pupil places in the Portlaoise area, the need to make further provision at primary level in addition to that outlined is being kept under continuous review by my Department. I am confident the measures outlined will assist in alleviating the immediate demand for pupil places in the area and I thank the Deputy for allowing me the opportunity to outline my Department's position on school provision in the Portlaoise area.

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