Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Mary Coughlan. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it gives me an opportunity of outlining to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and, in particular, the Department's position regarding the upgrading of facilities in Melview national school, County Longford.

Modernising facilities in our existing building stock, as well as 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 that the appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum. The 2010 capital allocation for the primary and post primary sectors is €579 million and this sum will facilitate the delivery of the school building programme through a range of projects and schemes.

On 16 February, the then Minister announced the 2010 large scale school building programme. Some 52 school projects - 37 primary and 15 post primary - are to advance to tender and construction later this year and in 2011. Some 51 school building projects - 44 primary and seven post primary - are expected to appoint design teams this year. Approval was given for seven new primary schools to open in September in rapidly developing areas. Arising from earlier school building programme announcements, 30 large-scale projects, 23 primary and seven post-primary, are under construction at present. A further 27 large-scale projects, 19 primary and eight post-primary, are due to commence construction during the first half of the year, with a further 14 projects, 10 primary and four post-primary, due to go on site as soon as possible. Payments will issue on fees for other projects already in architectural planning.

Depending on the rate of progress of the various projects in the programme, adjustments may be made throughout 2010. These adjustments may arise in the context of the ongoing monitoring of the programme undertaken by the Department in the normal course of events.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Tánaiste yesterday announced the successful applicants for the 2010 summer works scheme. A total of €122 million will see major improvements works carried out in 1,490 primary and post-primary schools across the country. The summer works scheme covers projects in school buildings such as gas, electrical and mechanical works, roof replacements and repairs, window replacement, toilet upgrades, structural improvements and access works. This record level of investment through the summer works scheme has the potential to generate work for more than 4,400 construction workers across the country during the summer period. The projects approved under the summer works scheme had been assessed as being priority projects by the individual schools themselves and the capacity of schools to take responsibility for delivering small and medium-scale projects is a key component of the summer works scheme.

Major capital projects are selected for inclusion in the school building and modernisation programme on the basis of priority of need. This is reflected in the band rating assigned to a project. A proposed building project moves through the system commensurate with the band rating assigned to it. There are four band ratings overall, of which band one is the highest and band four the lowest. Band one projects, for example, include the provision of buildings where none currently exists but there is a high demand for pupil places, while a band four project makes provision of desirable, but not necessarily urgent or essential facilities, such as a library or new sports hall.

In July 2008, the Department introduced a new devolved scheme which allows those schools to avail of the option of using approved funding for the provision of additional accommodation to either purchase prefabs or to construct permanent classrooms for the same amount. The Department has also introduced a new scheme aimed at replacing rented prefabs with permanent modular buildings. This project will be targeted at schools that have older rented prefabs and need long-term additional accommodation.

In 2008 Melview national school received grant aid in excess of €127,000 to fund electrical and sewerage improvements works at the school. The school also received a grant of €12,500 under the 2005 summer works scheme for roof repairs. The management authority of this school applied for additional accommodation in January 2010 under the Department's additional accommodation scheme. The school had an enrolment of 216 pupils at September 2009 and a staffing of principal, eight assistant teachers, two learning support teachers and two resource teachers for Travellers.

Following an assessment of the application, the school was informed in March 2010 that a grant of €200,000 has been sanctioned for the provision of an extension consisting of two mainstream classrooms. The school also sought approval for funding toward the provision of additional resources rooms and the Department will be in contact with the school authority shortly regarding this request.

I thank the Deputy again for giving me the opportunity to outline the current position for Melview national school, County Longford.

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