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

I am responding to this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Mary Coughlan. I thank the Deputy 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 also to outline the current position in relation to St Joseph's secondary school, Rush, County Dublin.

Modernising facilities in our existing building stock, as well as responding 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 school buildings and ensure the appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum. The allocation of funding for school buildings in 2010 is a little under €579 million. This represents a significant investment in the schools building and modernisation programme. This level of funding, at a time of great pressure on public finances, is a sign of the Government's commitment to investing in school infrastructure and it will permit the continuation of the Department's programme of sustained investment in primary and post primary schools.

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 presenting based on the demographics of an area, proposed housing developments, condition of buildings, site capacity etc. leading to an appropriate accommodation solution. As part of this process, a project is assigned a band rating under published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. These criteria were devised following consultation with the education partners. 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. In other words, a proposed building project moves through the system commensurate with the band rating assigned to it.

A whole-school evaluation of management, leadership and learning was undertaken between 22 and 24 February this year in St Joseph's secondary school, Rush. Following this, the WSE report issued to the board of management of the school on 29 April and the Department is currently awaiting the school's response to the report. The WSE report will not be finalised until the school's response is received. Therefore I am not in a position to make any further comment on the report or its contents.

A project for an extension and refurbishment for St Joseph's secondary school is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. The project has been assigned a priority band rating of 2.4 under the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. The brief for the project at St Joseph's is for the provision of an extension of additional mainstream classrooms and facilities and a PE hall of 608 metres squared. The brief also provides for an extensive refurbishment of the existing school buildings. St Joseph's was also granted funding of over €250,000 under the summer works scheme in 2007 for the provision of tarmac and fire alarms. The school was also approved for the rental of three mainstream classrooms in 2007.

The Department has no record of an application from the school for a new school building on a greenfield site. If the school wishes to propose such a development the Department will give it due consideration on receipt of any such proposal. 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. In the absence of any other proposal or application from the school, the project to provide an extension and refurbishment for St Joseph's secondary school will continue to be considered in the context of the Department's multi-annual school building and modernisation programme for 2011 and subsequent years. However, in light of current competing demands on the Department's capital budget, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of the project at this time.

Again, I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the current position regarding the school building project for St Joseph's secondary school, Rush, County Dublin.

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