Donie Cassidy (Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Minister for Education and Science to purchase a new site for the Mercy secondary school in Kilbeggan, County Westmeath, as a matter of urgency. A deputation from this school met the Minister on 1 February 2006. The school principal, Ms Catherine Moynihan, two sisters from the Mercy order, as well as Councillor Tom Cowley, Senator O'Rourke and I met the Minister to highlight the opportunity that would be presented in the Kilbeggan area. The Sisters of Mercy, who have been in Kilbeggan since 1893, have made an immense contribution to the entire area by taking on the challenge of educating the children of the area when it was not fashionable to do so. I represent County Westmeath and want to make a strong case for this school on behalf of students, parents, teachers and the board of management. The current school, which has stood the test of time, has 22 exits. The time has long past for the construction of a new school because the educational needs of second-level students should be paramount. A CSA report published in May 2005 noted that the existing site offers little scope for expansion or refurbishment and recommended that the school should be relocated to a greenfield site as a matter of urgency in order to cater for increased enrolments and new housing developments in the catchment area.

The Sisters of Mercy have generously agreed with the board of management and teaching staff to make available a ten-acre site located a mere 200 metres from the existing site at a reasonable price. We all know the construction of the M6 from Kinnegad to Kilbeggan has caused the price of land in the area to shoot through the roof. This opportunity may not present itself again. As a Government Deputy for County Westmeath, I urge the Minister for Education and Science to avail of the offer being made by the good sisters.

Kilbeggan is located between the gateway towns of Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar and this school's reputation in terms of its comprehensive curriculum is second to none. The school's rural catchment area of Kilbeggan, Rahugh, Tyrrellspass, Castletowngeoghegan, Dysart, Streamstown, Durrow, Ballinagore, Bohar and Horseleap contains decent and hard working communities which deserve to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the sisters to the Department. The board's provision of lifelong learning opportunities represents a significant contribution to the area's communities.

There is an urgent need for a technical assessment of the new site. Enrolment at the school was 301 in 2000, rising to 400 in 2006, and an enrolment of 500 to 550 is projected by 2010. Any fair minded person would have to agree the current opportunity will not be available next year because the road will by then be opened. I call on the Minister to give urgent consideration to this request and to bring the matter to a conclusion as quickly as possible so the people of the Kilbeggan area can be assured of a new site.

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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l thank Deputy Cassidy for raising this matter, which I will address on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science. I wish to outline to the House the plans of the Department of Education and Science for the proposed new secondary school in Kilbeggan.

Modernising the facilities in our 3,200 primary and 750 post-primary schools is not an easy task, given the legacy of decades of under investment in this area as well as the need to respond to emerging demands in areas of rapid population growth. Nonetheless, this Government has shown a sincere determination to improve the condition of our school buildings and to ensure the appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum.

This Government has invested in the largest school building programme in the history of the State. Between 1998 and the end of 2004, almost €2 billion was invested in school buildings and in the region of 7,500 large and small projects were completed in schools, including 130 brand new schools and 510 large scale refurbishments and extensions. Funding for school building and renovation projects has increased fivefold since 1997. In 2006, €500 million will be spent on school building projects, compared to just €92 million in 1997. The 2006 allocation is an increase of over 9% in real terms on the 2005 allocation.

At the end of last year, the Department of Education and Science outlined its spending plans for primary and post-primary schools for 2006. With €500 million to be spent on school buildings, there will be more than 1,300 ongoing projects in schools throughout the country. This significant investment will allow the Department to continue to progress its major programme of school building and modernisation, which includes improving new technological equipment and information technology.

On 16 August 2005, the Department of Education and Science published a new area development plan for the N4-M4 corridor which charts the way forward for school planning over the next decade. With regard to the proposed secondary school for Kilbeggan, the N4-M4 area development plan recommended that Meánscoil an Chlochair, Kilbeggan, should be relocated to a greenfield site and could cater for 500 to 550 students. A strict enrolment policy should be in place to ensure priority is given to students within the catchment area.

The Department is anxious to be proactive in planning the needs of rapidly developing areas and this plan equips it with a blueprint for development in an area that will continue to experience rapid change in the coming years. An examination of the school's long-term projected enrolment is currently being carried out by staff in the school planning section of the Department. Factors being taken into account include population growth, demographic trends, current and projected enrolments, recent and planned housing developments and the capacity of existing schools to meet the demand for places. Once the long-term projected enrolment is established, the school will be asked to complete an educational worksheet based on this figure and return it to the Department's senior educationalist, who in turn will draw up a schedule of overall accommodation for the proposed new school. In addition, staff in the school planning section of the Department will arrange a technical inspection of the existing school building to assess its condition. Following the outcome of this assessment, the issue of site acquisition will be examined and officials from the Department will contact all relevant parties.

Donie Cassidy (Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Minister of State to use his influence to ensure the assessment is completed before the summer recess.

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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I will speak to the Minister for Education and Science on the matter.

Donie Cassidy (Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I congratulate the Minister of State on Munster's incredible success.