Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for raising this matter. In recent weeks, Deputy Bannon was in contact with the Minister and me in this regard. It is important we bring clarity to the situation. If there is any confusion, we will try to put it to bed. I will offer a formal answer, after which we can go through the details.

This debate gives me the opportunity to outline to the House the current position regarding the building project that is under way at St. Mary's national school in Drumlish, County Longford. In January 2014, the school submitted an application to my Department's planning and building unit for two new 80 sq. m mainstream classrooms and a resource room to cater for increased enrolments. In March 2014, following an assessment of the school's application, the school authority received sanction for a devolved grant under my Department's 2014 additional accommodation scheme to build two additional mainstream classrooms and an additional resource room. The grant was sanctioned on condition that the school authority utilise the grant to build a permanent, stand-alone structure.

Devolved grants allow school authorities the means to address their accommodation and building priorities with a guaranteed amount of funding and gives them day-to-day control of their building projects. It is a central tenet of the devolved scheme that responsibility for the management of a project, including cost control, timing of tendering and construction, rests with the school authority.

In September 2014, the school authority submitted an application for additional funding for a replacement boiler and an upgrade of its fire alarm system, emergency lighting and main electrical board. Additional funding was sanctioned for the costs associated with the boiler replacement and upgrade of the main electrical board. The costs in respect of the upgrade of the fire alarm system and emergency lighting were not approved, however, as these works were being carried out in the existing school building and were outside the scope of the approved project.

The planning and building unit was informed that building works commenced on site in August and the first instalment of the approved grant was paid to the school authority in early September 2015. If the level of funding provided by the Department is not sufficient to cover the cost of the approved works, it is open to the school authority to apply for additional funding, which is a common practice. However, if works are being carried out over and above the approved works, the cost of these must be met by the school authority.

The management authority of St. Mary's national school recently informed the planning and building unit that there was a shortfall in funding. In the coming days, the school will be requested to explain the reasons for this shortfall. On receipt of that information, my Department will be in a position to consider the request for additional funding. Obviously, there will be a time lag after the information comes forward. The process must be followed. A school submits the reasons for the increased costs and backs them up with evidence, after which time a decision can be made.

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