Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

I propose to respond to this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and giving me an opportunity to outline to the Dáil the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and the current position in respect of St. Oliver's national school in Ballycasheen, Killarney. The modernisation of facilities in our existing building stock, like the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth, is a significant challenge. The Government has shown a consistent determination to improve the condition of our school buildings and to ensure appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum. As part of this process, each project is assigned a band rating under the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects, which were devised following consultation with the education partners. In the case of St. Oliver's national school in Ballycasheen, the school has a current staffing level of a principal, 23 mainstream teachers, one developing post, four special class teachers, one post for administration-deputy principal, three resource teachers for Travellers and five language support teachers. It also has the services of ten learning support-resource teachers.

In April 2005 the school submitted an application to the Department for capital funding towards the provision of an extension to include three classrooms for children with mild learning difficulties, a principal's office, refurbishment of the staff room area and five partitioned rooms. The application was assessed and the project was assigned a band rating of 1.2. As it was not possible to progress the project in time to meet the need presenting, it was necessary to provide temporary accommodation to the school. As the Deputy may be aware, it is open to school authorities to apply for temporary accommodation to meet any immediate accommodation needs that might arise. All applications for such additional accommodation are subject to a full and thorough assessment process. As part of that assessment process, the rental of a prefabricated classroom, the purchase of a prefabricated classroom and the building of a permanent structure are all considered as possible solutions in addressing a school's accommodation issues.

In the case of existing temporary accommodation a similar exercise would be carried out where the rental agreements are due to expire or be renewed. The purchase of a prefabricated classroom and the building of a permanent structure, in particular, may address a school's accommodation issues in the medium to long term and can be facilitated by means of a devolved grant. In an effort to limit the increasing number of prefab units being rented by schools, in July 2008 the Minister decided that where additional accommodation was needed by schools and the need was for three or more years, schools should have the option of purchasing prefab units or building new rooms.

I am pleased to say that in 2008 St. Oliver's received approval for devolved grants relating to two separate projects to purchase or build an 80 sq. m mainstream classroom, a 100 sq. m mainstream classroom and a 50 sq. m resource room. I understand from the school that one of these projects is completed, and the other is under construction and should be completed shortly.

The school is also renting prefabricated units pending provision of permanent accommodation. Regarding balance of the accommodation to be provided at St. Oliver's national school, the progression of all large-scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction is dependent on the prioritisation of competing demands on the funding available under the Department's capital budget. The project for St. Oliver's national school will continue to be considered in the context of the Department's multi-annual school building and modernisation programme.

I again thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the current position regarding the school building project for St. Oliver's national school, Ballycasheen, Killarney, County Kerry.

See this speech in context