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

In order to improve the information systems available to my Department in respect of primary and post-primary schools, my Department's forward planning section uses geographical information system, GIS, technology which contains a certain level of information on all schools in the country at both primary and post-primary level. I understand the planning and building unit recently gave a demonstration to the members of the Joint Committee on Education and Science on the use of the GIS. A range of demographic information is linked to the relevant schools and this allows the Department to map various demographic scenarios at local level.

To further expand and improve the capabilities of the system, arrangements are being made to conduct a survey of accommodation at primary and post-primary level which will be linked to the GIS. It is intended that this will establish the position in respect of the extent of all school accommodation. The specifications for this inventory are being finalised at present.

As the Deputy will be aware, I also recently instructed my Department to compile information on school ownership details on the basis of files available in the Department. In general, the Department's property management files contain details of indentures entered into by the State with the respective school patrons. The primary purpose of these indentures was to protect the interest of the State in buildings constructed on sites not in its ownership. Due to the fact that this system of indentures has been in place since the commencement of the primary school system, the vast bulk of these legal documents predates the introduction of modern information technology systems. Indeed, many of these documents predate the foundation of the State.

As part of scoping out the scale of the exercise relating to establishing the ownership details of school properties, my officials recently met representatives from the Property Registration Authority and the Chief State Solicitor's office to ascertain the extent of the work involved and to determine if the information could be obtained by other means. However, it is clear that it will not be possible to obtain this information other than by a painstaking process of researching each individual file. It is also clear that compiling a comprehensive database of school ownership will be quite a complex task and will take some time to complete. I have asked my Department to provide me with a preliminary report on the timescale of this exercise and a full assessment of what is involved in terms of both staffing and financial resources.

In the meantime, my Department is finalising a list of school details setting out the names and addresses of schools, their roll numbers and details of the patron of each national school. I will arrange to have this information forwarded to those Deputies who have requested it as soon is it has been compiled.

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