Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this issue for debate on the Adjournment. Urbleshanny national school is located near the growing village of Scotstown in the hinterland of north County Monaghan, which is part of the BMW region. Many planning applications have been lodged for developments in Scotstown and it is likely the population will continue to grow in the future. The baptismal records indicate the significant number of children of pre-school age in the area who will enter the school system shortly.

Urbleshanny national school is a success story in that pupil numbers have increased to 270 and continue to rise. Last September, the school was allocated an additional teacher to bring its complement to 12. This was a welcome development and indicative of the school's success. However, the regrettable aspect is that there was no classroom to accommodate the new teacher and some of the pupils. There were some good hedges close to the school but such a solution would not do.

The school management wrote to the Minister in hope, outlining the school's successful situation, the projected further increase in pupil numbers and the allocation of an additional teacher. The management hoped to receive some indication that an extension would be built to cater for its growing population. However, later in the year the bad news came from the Minister that there was regretfully no funding for this project but that the situation would be reviewed in 2005. This gave the school management some little hope and put it off the Department's case for a time.

However, the school was not included in the listings for 2005. The increasingly frustrated management then set about sourcing a portakabin as a temporary solution to the problem. The parents' committee duly collected the required funds for this short-term facility, which has no toilet, cloakroom, running water, either hot or cold, and no fire escape or emergency door. This is not the correct environment in which to attempt to educate children. It is unacceptable that such accommodation must be endured in this day and age. These types of adverse conditions are not beneficial for children and are likely to impede their development and education. Moreover, they undoubtedly have an adverse impact on the morale of teachers. Children quickly realise when a teacher is not firing on all cylinders.

It is better for teachers, pupils and schools in general when proper classroom conditions are in place. Pupils attend primary school for a finite period of eight years and those years can slip by very quickly. In many schools, pupils are receiving all their primary education in the type of portakabin I have described, with no heat, running water or cloakroom. This is unacceptable, particularly in communities where numbers are increasing.

I appeal to the Minister to examine this issue favourably and to consider the benefits of providing for an extension to the school in the next tranche of funding. Local people are optimistic that the case for the school, which has an excellent reputation, is worthwhile. The roll number for the school is 169230.

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The Cavan-Monaghan constituency is well represented on the Adjournment.

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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I am delighted about that.

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline to the House the strategy of the Department of Education and Science for capital investment in education projects and also to outline the position regarding the application received in the Department for additional accommodation at Urbleshanny national school, Scotstown, County Monaghan.

Since the beginning of the year the Department of Education and Science has made a number of announcements relating to the schools building and modernisation programme. This year alone, €270 million will be allocated to primary schools and €223 million to post-primary schools for building works. This represents an increase of 14% on last year's allocation.

The programmes supported will include 141 major building projects already on site and a further 28 due to commence in the coming weeks, 122 major school building projects countrywide which will prepare tenders and move to construction during this year, 192 primary schools which have been invited to take part in the small and rural schools initiative and the devolved scheme for providing additional accommodation, up to 120 schools which have been given approval to rent temporary premises pending delivery of a permanent solution to their long-term accommodation needs, 43 schools which have been authorised to start architectural planning of their major projects and 590 schools which were recently given approval to complete essential small-scale projects under the summer works scheme.

The new schools building and modernisation programme 2005-09 will be underpinned not only by a significant increase in overall funding but also by major improvements in the administration of the funding. Devolving more funding to local level through the summer works scheme and the small and rural schools initiative will allow schools to move ahead much more quickly with smaller projects while also delivering better value for money.

Major renovations were completed in Urbleshanny national school a number of years ago at a cost of over €900,000. Since completion of these works, enrolment has increased from 223 when the project was approved in 1998 to 270 pupils in September last year. The Department of Education and Science has received an application from the school authority for the provision of an extension consisting of two mainstream classrooms, a remedial room and an extension to the school's hard play area to cater for the growing enrolment.

The upward trend in pupil enrolments at the school has necessitated a further examination of the school's long-term accommodation needs to ensure any capital funding being provided is appropriate to meet the school's long-term needs. The assessment of the school's application is ongoing in the school planning section of the Department to determine the school's long-term accommodation requirements. The objective is to ensure that whatever additional facilities are put in place at the school this time will serve the needs of the school community well into the future. When this issue is resolved the provision of the appropriate accommodation will be progressed in the context of the school building and modernisation programme.

I thank the Deputy for affording me the opportunity to outline to the House the method used by the Department of Education and Science in determining in an open and transparent way how projects are included for funding in the school building programme and to assure the House that this school and all others will be treated in a fair and equitable manner.