Dáil debates

Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Topical Issue Debate

Schools Building Projects Status

12:40 pm

Photo of Kathleen LynchKathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this issue on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, and I will convey the Deputy's concerns to her. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides the opportunity to clarify the current position of the major capital project for Cloonakilla national school. The Deputy is 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 over 36,000 pupils by 2016, and they are set to continue to rise, with a likely peak at around 574,000 pupils to be catered for in 2018. This compares with some 526,422 pupils enrolled in primary schools for the 2012 and 2013 school year. It is vital, therefore, that there is sufficient school accommodation to cope with these pupil enrolments.

In order 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 year. The Department would seek to provide additional accommodation to meet demographic growth but it would also aim to ensure maximum use of existing school accommodation. A priority, therefore, for the Department is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places.

For school planning purposes, Cloonakilla national school is contained in the Athlone school feeder area, which has been identified by the Department as an area requiring increased accommodation to meet demographic demand over the period between now and 2019. A major school building project at Coosan national school has already been announced and is being progressed as part of the Department's five-year construction plan to meet this demand. An additional project is also being progressed through the Department's architectural planning process in respect of Cloonakilla national school. The project at Cloonakilla comprises a new 16-classroom school with ancillary accommodation.

This project has reached an advanced stage of architectural planning, stage 2(b) which includes securing planning permission, fire certificate, disability access certificate and the preparation of tender documents. All relevant statutory approvals have been obtained and the design team is working on the preparation of the tender documentation. The design team expects to be in a position to submit the stage 2(b) report to the Department for review in the coming weeks.

Due to competing demands on the Department's capital budget, it is not possible to progress all projects within the Department's building programme to construction concurrently. However, the project for Cloonakilla national school is now well placed to progress to tender and construction in the event that further funding becomes available to the Department in the future. I hope this is of some help to the Deputy. I will relay his concerns on this issue.

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