Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It does not give me great pleasure to raise this issue in the House again. I refer to the problems faced by Gaelscoil na Cruaiche in Westport, County Mayo, which has more than 200 pupils. The school's principal, seven mainstream teachers, full-time resource teacher and shared learning support teacher have to work in appalling facilities. The lease on the school's current accommodation will expire later this year.

Some former Ministers, including the former Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Woods, made promises when they visited Westport during the election campaigns of 1997 and 2002. I recall that Deputy Woods said on local radio in 2002 that the school would be able to leave its current premises at that time. Everybody in the county, including Fianna Fáil's election candidates, was convinced that an announcement would be made the following week that a new building would be built on a new site. The only problem was that the money was not made available for the acquisition of a new site. I am reminded of the Abba song, Money, Money, Money.

The teachers and pupils of Gaelscoil na Cruaiche have to work in atrocious conditions. I am tired of being told by Ministers that negotiations with the Office of Public Works about the acquisition of sites in Westport are ongoing. As a former auctioneer, I know that it is not impossible to get a site in Westport. I can choose a site if the relevant authorities would like me to do so — the only thing that is needed is money. The parents, the board of management, the principal and the teachers will organise a public meeting this week and they intend to march to the Dáil. The school, which has 200 pupils, is a success story because families are prepared to send their children there. It has excellent teachers and an excellent principal, and many other people are also involved in the school. I was proud to see the school pupils taking part in the St. Patrick's parade in Westport.

What is the updated position? Has the OPW acquired a site? Has it had discussions with the town council? Is the problem related to funding or the site? I hope the Minister will be able to tell the principal, the parents and the board of management when the school will get its new site. Will the pupils and teachers be in a new school by September of next year? They must leave their present location because the school's lease is up and the owners of the property want them out. It is time we knew what will happen to the school.

I hope the Minister has good news. I hope the site has been purchased and that the negotiations with the town council are complete. I also hope that the necessary funding has been put in place by the Department of Education and Science.

The people of Westport and the surrounding areas have long memories. They remember the former Minister, Deputy Woods, visiting Westport and giving assurances that this school would be looked after. We are nearly at the end of the term of this Government and it will not be long until the election. The people of Westport will respond and they will have something to say to the Fianna Fáil candidate who visited the school with the former Minister, Deputy Woods.

As Minister, Deputy Woods visited Newport to promise a third level school there, but that never happened. He also visited the Westport Quay school. He brought an accordion on that occasion and sang the lights out. I told the local radio presenter that the song would be a best-seller but it would not be a No. 1 because the Government would not deliver on any of the schools. It did not deliver.

I hope the Minister has good news for this school. I hope he can tell me that the site is bought and the project is progressing to the next stage.

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Ring for giving me the opportunity to outline the proposals of the Department of Education and Science in regard to the provision of a new facility for Gaelscoil na Cruaiche in Westport, County Mayo. Since the beginning of the year the Minister for 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 the 2004 allocation.

The programmes supported will include 141 major building projects already on site and more due to go on site in the near future; 122 major school building projects countrywide, which will go to tender and construction during 2005 or early 2006; 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; 590 schools which were recently given approval to complete essential small scale projects under the summer works scheme; and 124 schools to progress through architectural planning.

The new schools building and modernisation programme 2005-09 will be underpinned not just 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 more quickly with smaller projects.

Gaelscoil na Cruaiche opened in September 1996 with provisional recognition and was granted permanent recognition in 2000. The school is currently accommodated in prefabricated classrooms on a 0.75 acre site in the town. The cost of site and classroom rental is grant-aided by the Department of Education and Science at the rate of 95%.

The property management section of the Office of Public Works, which purchases sites for new schools on behalf of the Department of Education and Science, was requested to explore the possibility of acquiring a site for the school in question. Following the most recent advertisement placed by the OPW seeking proposals of possible sites, a number of responses were received. Seven sites have been visited and their technical suitability as a location for the Gaelscoil is being considered at present. Due to commercial sensitivities the Deputy will appreciate the Department is unable to comment further on specific site acquisitions, including a site for Gaelscoil na Cruaiche. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter in the House.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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We need to know the location of the site and the availability of the funding.