Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am responding on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn.

It is more than coincidental that Deputy Simon Harris has tabled this issue for debate once again. He has been in communication with me on the matter on a number of occasions in the past 12 months. As he will be aware, the Minister announced in June 2011 that 20 new primary and 20 new post-primary schools were to be established up to 2016 in a number of locations to cater for increased pupil numbers. Greystones and Kilcoole were not identified among the areas that required new schools in that period. However, it should be noted that two new schools - Gaelscoil na Clocha Liatha and Greystones Educate Together - opened on the same campus in Greystones in September 2008. Accommodation is being provided under my Department's rapid delivery programme for 2013. A new 16-classroom school is being provided for Greystones Educate Together. It is at the tender and planning permission stage. Subject to statutory approvals and no issues arising, the indicative date for delivery of these classrooms is September 2013. Gaelscoil na Clocha Liatha which has an eight-classroom building will take over the eight-classroom building currently occupied by Greystones Educate Together, thereby providing it with overall accommodation of 16 classrooms. The overall additionally to be provided on the campus is 15 classrooms.

The project at Kilcoole primary school represents the amalgamation of the former St. Anthony's boys school and the former St. Brigid's girls school. It is currently a 16-classroom facility. The junior classes are accommodated in the St. Brigid's building, while the senior classes are located in the St. Anthony's boys' school building. The project is included in the 2015-16 programme to proceed to tender and construction. The proposal is to extend each building by providing four additional classrooms with associated ancillary accommodation in each case. There will be an increase from eight to 12 classrooms in each building. The process of appointing a design team for the project recently commenced with invitation to tender letters being issued to the consultants in the Department of Education and Skills large schools framework.

In relation to the Greystones and Kilcoole area, officials in my Department met a delegation of principals from Greystones last month in an effort to ensure any additional needs from September 2013 would be fully catered for. The Department has sanctioned funding to provide four additional classrooms in neighbouring schools in Greystones to meet accommodation needs from September. It is continuing to liaise with patron bodies on increased provision as the need arises. In addition, the management of Kilcoole national school has applied to the Department for additional temporary accommodation. The Department will be in contact with the school in this regard shortly. The forward planning section of my Department will continue to analyse all areas of the country on an ongoing basis to establish where needs are beginning to emerge.

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