Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy O'Mahony for raising this very important issue. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Quinn, who is on official business in Brussels. It gives me the opportunity to remind the House of the significant challenges facing us in terms of meeting increasing demand for pupil places throughout the country in the coming years and the opportunity to clarify the position in relation to the application for additional accommodation in respect of Gort Sceiche national school, Hollymount, County Mayo.

The Deputy will be aware of the demographic challenge facing the education system in the coming years. Primary enrolments, which have already risen substantially in recent years, are projected to rise by approximately 70,000 pupils by 2019 and post-primary pupils are expected to rise by more than 35,000 pupils over the same period.

It is vital that there is sufficient school accommodation in place to cope with these increasing pupil enrolments.

To meet the needs of our growing population of school-going children, the Department must establish new schools as well as extending or replacing a number of existing schools in areas where demographic growth has been identified. The delivery of these new schools, together with extension projects to meet future demand, will be the main focus of the Department's budget for the coming years. The Deputy will appreciate that the primary aim at the core of the five-year construction plan is to ensure every child will have access to a physical school place.

With regard to Gort Sceiche, I understand that it is a two-classroom school with a staffing complement of a teaching principal plus one mainstream teacher. The current enrolment at the school is 26 pupils. The school in question advised, as part of its application for additional accommodation, that due to the closure of a neighbouring school at the end of this academic year, it expects a significant increase in pupil numbers. In that regard, the Department of Education and Skills acknowledges that this may result in an increase in enrolments to approximately 35 pupils next September.

In April 2014 the school submitted an application for capital funding for the upgrading of existing classrooms and for the provision of a resource room, a learning support room, a parents' room, a general purpose room and an administrative room. With regard to the request for a learning support and resource room, the Department has sought additional information from the school, and when this is received it will be in a position to consider the matter further.

Gort Sceiche also requested funding for the upgrade of two existing 49 sq. m classrooms to two 80 sq. m en suitemainstream classrooms. I wish to advise the Deputy that the difference in size between the classrooms concerned is due to the fact that toilet and wet area facilities are provided separately to the existing 49 sq. m whereas they are provided en suite within the 80 sq. m classroom. In that context, the existing classrooms are not considered to be undersized and the existing classroom accommodation available to the school is adequate to cater for its pupil numbers.

As I have already outlined, the Department's overriding objective is to ensure every child has access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to cope with increasing pupil numbers. Priority is currently being given to applications for essential mainstream classroom accommodation in areas of significant demographic growth and where additional teaching staff have been allocated. This will continue to be the main focus for investment by the Department in the foreseeable future. As a result of this, the Department is not currently in a position to consider the application from the school on its other ancillary school accommodation.

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