Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I declare a vested interest in this matter. Two of my children attended this school and two are still being educated there. Therefore, I am familiar with the issue. I am taking this debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. I thank Deputy Reilly for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and the current position regarding St. Oliver Plunkett national school, Malahide, County Dublin, roll No. 17914S.

Modernising facilities in the existing building stock and responding to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth present significant challenges. The Government has shown a consistent determination to improve the condition of school buildings and to ensure the appropriate facilities are in place to enable implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum. All applications for capital funding are assessed in the planning and building unit of the Department. The assessment process determines the extent and type of need based on the demographics of an area, proposed housing developments, condition of buildings and site capacity. As part of this process, a project is assigned a band rating under published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects which were devised following consultation with the education partners. The original criteria were revised and refined in 2004. Projects are selected for inclusion in the schools building and modernisation programme on the basis of priority of need, as reflected in the band rating assigned to a project. In other words, a proposed building project moves through the system commensurate with the band rating assigned to it. The building project for St. Oliver Plunkett national school has been assigned a band 2.2 rating. The project is at an early stage of architectural planning.

With regard to the Deputy's concerns regarding the temporary accommodation units at the school, these have been reviewed recently as part of a strategy adopted by the Department to achieve best value for money and to reduce overall rental costs for schools in general. One aspect of the review involves negotiations with prefab suppliers to buy out existing rental contracts or to negotiate reductions in annual rent, as appropriate. An initial group of 46 schools with rented prefabricated accommodation has been identified for priority negotiations with suppliers to buy out existing rental contracts. A number of these prefabs have now been bought out, including the prefabs at St. Oliver Plunkett's, and negotiations are ongoing with a view to ending rental contracts for as many schools as possible in 2010. The chartered surveyors engaged by the Department to assist in this process carried out a site visit at St. Oliver Plunkett's on 26 June 2009 and provided the Department with a report confirming that the units are in good condition and well maintained.

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