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

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it gives me an opportunity to outline to the House my Department's position regarding the construction of new accommodation for Scoil Bhríde, Edenderry and Gaelscoil Éadan Doire.

My priority is to ensure that there is sufficient school accommodation to meet projected pupil enrolment increases into the future. The five-year capital investment programme announced in March 2012 outlines all the major school projects that will commence construction over the duration of that plan. The investment in that programme is of the order of €2 billion.

My Department is endeavouring to maximise the efficient use of all available capacity in the public sector to assist in the delivery of the schools programme. In that context, the Edenderry projects referred to by the Deputy are two out of 15 schools where responsibility for the delivery of these projects was devolved to the Office of Public Works.

A service level agreement is in place between my Department and the Office of Public Works which outlines the roles and responsibilities of each of the parties in the delivery of education projects. It is a central tenet of devolution that responsibility for the delivery of these projects, within certain agreed parameters as laid down in the service level agreement, rests with the Office of Public Works.

The Edenderry school projects were tendered by the OPW in early 2013. The OPW recently forwarded a tender report for these two school projects to my Department together with two other schools. My Department, in consultation with the OPW, is currently considering these documents. These projects are categorised on the five-year capital programme as projects due to go to construction in 2013.

There will be some delay in the projects going to construction, but I can assure the Deputy that they are being progressed so that the accommodation required for the two schools will be provided at the earliest possible date within the five-year construction programme. I also want to assure the Deputy that my Department is in contact with the schools concerned to ensure that there is sufficient accommodation for September 2013.

I thank the Deputy again for giving me the opportunity to outline the current position to the House.

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