Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

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

I thank the Deputies 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 to outline the current position with regard to the future plans for the schools in question.

As the House will be aware, in the past few years the Government has increased dramatically investment in the school building programme to 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. Notwithstanding the financial challenges facing our country in the years ahead, I am confident the Government will continue to prioritise investment in the school building programme.

With regard to the specific matter, the Minister wishes to advise the House that earlier this year the Department requested Fingal County Council to acquire a number of sites for schools in the council's administrative area, including an already identified site for the two schools in question, under the terms of the Fingal memorandum agreement. While the Department had been in the process, through the Chief State Solicitor's Office, of exchanging contracts for the sale of the site, it became apparent at that time there was a high possibility of further ongoing delays in securing the site. As a result, the Department requested the local authority to acquire the site under the Fingal model agreement. The Department has maintained ongoing liaison with the local authority in relation to the acquisition of this and the other requested school sites and understands the negotiations for the acquisition of the Tyrellstown site are ongoing.

In the circumstances, the House will appreciate that as the Department is not a direct party to the negotiations, the Minister cannot comment further. That said, the House can be assured that the Department is fully aware of the rapidly developing nature of the Dublin 15 area and the associated demands on school places. In this regard, the Minister can confirm that the Department has recently received correspondence from the board of management of the Tyrellstown Educate Together school to the effect that it intends to limit its junior infants intake to one class for the forthcoming school year. The Department has written to the school authorities advising them of the latest position and will keep them informed of any progress. In order to address any short-term deficit, pending closure on the site and the delivery of the school building, the Department has recently written to the county council requesting its permission to use neighbouring lands under its ownership for the purposes of locating, on a short-term basis, temporary accommodation if required as a last resort.

The Minister is hopeful the council will respond in a positive fashion to this request, particularly as it has been of invaluable assistance to the Department in helping to address such unprecedented demand for school places in their functional area.

Department officials recently met with senior officials from the local authority and in particular discussed the need to close on the Tyrelsstown site as a matter of urgency. The Minister is satisfied that the local authority shares the Department's sense of urgency. The Minister would also like to confirm to the House that the required building project will receive top priority in the Department and has instructed Department officials to consider the scope for providing the schools under its modular building programme, which should result in the schools being completed earlier than normally would be expected.

I thank the Deputy once again for affording me the opportunity to outline to the House the current position in relation to the future plans for the area in question.

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