Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will be aware, my Department consistently monitors demographics to identify where additional school places will be required. The six-year programme has building projects for these areas, including Kildare, where 29 major capital projects are being progressed in addition to more than 50 smaller-scale projects that have been approved for devolved funding under my Department’s additional accommodation scheme. My Department has provided me with the details of these projects which I am making available to the Deputy.

Over the lifetime of my Department's capital programme, it is also my intention to replace all purchased temporary accommodation with permanent accommodation where the need is established. To enable this development, my Department will carry out an assessment of the number of prefabs being used in schools to deliver the curriculum. This will also determine whether individual prefabs need to be replaced in the context of the long-term accommodation needs of each individual school. When completed, this assessment will quantify the number of prefabs to be replaced.

Budget 2016 provided for some 2,260 additional teaching posts in our primary and post-primary schools for this year and 2,400 will be provided for next year. These posts will provide an improvement in the pupil and staff ratio at primary level. They will improve leadership and guidance services will be restored.

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