Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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I appreciate the opportunity to raise this important matter this evening.

The sense of despair I have every time I arrive in this House to raise a delayed school building project is matched only by the despair and frustration of the staff, parents and pupils affected. Tonight I am asking the Minister to explain the unacceptable delays in the provision of a new school to replace Bhreac Chluain national school, Annascaul, County Kerry.

Bhreac Chluain national school has 111 pupils, four classrooms and a dedicated principal and staff. However, the school in which they are expected to teach does not reflect a country with a booming economy and a stated Government commitment to education. Annascaul is a rapidly developing area and the population increase requires an expansion in facilities, particularly those relating to education.

The school in question is over 100 years old and is in serious need of replacement. I want to give some examples of the facilities in which the staff and pupils are expected to operate. There are two resource teachers in the school but they have only one room between them. A prefab to house the second teacher and pupils has been applied for through the Department of Education and Science but the school has heard nothing. The cloakroom, where the children hang their coats, has to be used as an art room as it is the only space for such work. The fire exit at the back of the school is cluttered with coats and bags and the library is out of use as it is being used as a classroom by a resource teacher. So much for the promotion of libraries and literacy in our schools. The computer space — one could not call it a room — is right outside the toilets and part of the toilets area had to be converted to facilitate the library.

I think I have painted a clear picture for the Minister. The school building project has been on the desk of the Minister for Education and Science since 1998. However, there has not been a whit of progress towards the new school in the intervening years. I want answers to why this is the case.

The sense of exasperation and despair among staff and parents is palpable and they cannot understand why no progress has been made on their new school. They are tired of phoning Tullamore, writing letters to politicians and highlighting their situation in public. All they want to know is when the new school will be delivered. The board of management wants to know where it stands. They do not want another standard Pontius Pilate reply, but rather to know when this project will be prioritised.

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, 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 Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and the position of the Department of Education and Science regarding the application for a new school for scoil náisiúnta Bhreac Chluain, Annascaul, County Kerry.

Modernising 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 and the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth. Nonetheless, since taking office this Government has shown a focused determination to improve the condition of our school buildings and to ensure that appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum.

As evidence of this commitment, over €540 million will be available to be spent on schools building and modernisation projects in the coming year, in respect of both primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. Since 1997, a total of €3 billion has been invested in school buildings and this has delivered over 7,800 school building projects. The additional investment of over €540 million will build on these achievements and focus in particular on the provision of school accommodation in areas where the population is growing at a rapid rate. As further evidence of our commitment, the national development plan funding of approximately €4.5 billion will be invested in schools over the coming years.

I am sure one will agree that this record level of investment is a positive testament to the high priority the Government attaches to ensuring that school accommodation is of the highest standard possible. Furthermore, to reduce red tape and allow projects to move faster, responsibility for smaller projects has been devolved to school level. Standard designs have also been developed for eight and 16 classroom schools to facilitate speedier delivery of projects and save on design fees. The design and build method is also used to expedite delivery where the use of standard designs is not possible. Taken together with the unprecedented level of funding available, these initiatives ensure that building projects are delivered in the fastest timeframe possible.

Turning to the school in question, scoil náisiúnta Bhreac Chluain is a co-educational primary school which had a September 2006 enrolment of 109 pupils. Enrolments at this school have been relatively stable, with a slight increase in recent years from 90 pupils in 2001 to 109 pupils in 2006. The school has submitted an application to the Department of Education and Science for a new school building and the long-term staffing figure on which accommodation needs will be based has been determined and notified to the school authority. It has been agreed that appropriate accommodation should be provided to cater for a long-term projected staffing of one principal, three mainstream assistants and ancillary staff. This implies a four-classroom school with appropriate ancillary accommodation. The school inspector has reported that the existing site is restricted and that the possibility of a new school on a greenfield site should be explored.

Before progressing the project further and to ensure that any capital funding allocated to the provision of a new school building represents optimal use of resources and is appropriate to meet the school's long-term accommodation needs, it will be necessary to consider the possibility of utilising the existing building or site before pursuing a greenfield site for a new build project. The next step is to carry out a technical investigation of the existing building and site to determine their suitability. When this inspection has been completed, the project will be progressed in the context of the schools building and modernisation programme.

I thank the Deputy once again for raising this matter and allowing me to outline the progress made under the schools building and modernisation programme and the position on the application for a new school building for scoil náisiúnta Bhreac Chluain, Annascaul, County Kerry.