Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this important issue, and the Minister of State for coming in to respond. I hope his response will be positive.

This matter refers to a small Church of Ireland school in the middle of Rockcorry village which has been reconstructed over the years but as the population of the village has increased so too have the numbers attending the school. The issues worrying the parents, teachers and patrons are that the school is overcrowded, making work difficult for the principal and teachers. There are only two classrooms for a school of 36, with two waiting to see if there is room for them. This is not suitable. Projected pupil numbers for 2010 are 45 children, not taking into account the many houses planned for the village and the surrounding area. Fire safety issues are of serious concern and health and safety issues are acute, as the school stands at the junction of the Ballybay and Cootehill roads. There are no facilities for pupils with disabilities in the existing school. It is a two-storey building and the pupils must go up and down a house-type stairway. Delivery of children to the school and their collection are both hazardous because there are no proper parking spaces.

As I understand it, the school board applied for a grant under the small schools scheme and did not know there was a problem with its application until the chairman of the board rang the officials in Tullamore. He was told he needed to provide confirmation of site ownership urgently. Two days later, after hectic work, confirmation was provided by the school's solicitor, Mr. George V. Maloney, and a message of confirmation was supplied to the Department. However, it was then stated that it should have been received earlier and therefore could not be accepted.

It is a pity that the school, given its circumstances, was not advised that full legal confirmation was needed; otherwise it could certainly have acted earlier. This is the only issue preventing the school from being included in this year's finance programme. Many schools, to which financial commitments have been made, have not been proceeded with and I, therefore, urge the Minister of State to ensure that funding is made available to allow this very important project to proceed, in the interest of safety and for the benefit of less well-off children. These children cannot be provided with their special educational requirements other than in corridors, which is not acceptable in this day and age. I beg the Minister of State to return to the Department to ensure that it understands fully that this matter is urgent and that the technicality in question needs to be addressed in an appropriate manner.

Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and also the position on the application for a new school building for Rockcorry national school, Rockcorry, County Monaghan.

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, in addition to the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth. Nonetheless, since taking office this Government has shown 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, more than €540 million will be available to be spent on schools building and modernisation projects in the coming year. This will cover 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 more than 7,800 school building projects. The further 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, national development plan funding of approximately €4.5 billion will be invested in schools over the coming years.

I am sure the Deputy 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. Moreover, 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-classroom 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, Rockcorry Church of Ireland national school is a coeducational primary school and has a September 2006 enrolment of 36 pupils. Enrolments at this school have increased in recent years from 21 pupils in 2001 to 36 pupils in 2006. An application was received in the Department from the school authority under the small schools scheme 2007. On 5 March 2007, the Department announced details of the schools to receive funding under this scheme.

Due to the volume of applications received in the Department, it was not possible to allocate funding to all proposed projects and the application from Rockcorry national school was not successful in this instance. However, should the school authority wish to appeal this decision, it may do so in writing to the school planning section of the Department. It is also open to the school authority to apply for funding under the 2008 scheme, details of which will be announced later this year. The Department acknowledges that the site is in the ownership of the school.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and allowing me to outline the progress being made under the schools building and modernisation programme and the position on the application for a new school building for Rockcorry national school, Rockcorry, County Monaghan.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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I am grateful for the opportunity to speak about certain schools. I encourage the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ahern, not to read out his self-congratulatory set of paragraphs but rather to commit to speaking to the member of Cabinet with responsibility, who might, unusually, provide clear timescales in respect of what I have to say.

A number of the schools in question are Irish language schools. Baineann siad le Gaeilge, ach ós rud é go bhfuil siad measctha — ní hí Gaeilge amháin atá i gceist — leanfaidh mé ar aghaidh i mBéarla. Gaelscoil Dara, for example, is 22 years in temporary buildings. When will the necessary adequate site for the school be provided? Tá Gaeilscoil Dara ann le tamall fada, níos mó ná 20 bliain, agus faigheann sí tacaíocht ó mhuintir na Gaillimhe. Tá a lán daltaí inti. Aríst is aríst eile, bíonn sé i gceist suíomh a chur ar fáil don scoil sin, rud ar a dtugann an Roinn "láithreán". Níl aon eolas dearfach againn maidir le cathain a chuirfear an láithreán ar fáil ná cá mbeidh sé, áfach.

The issue of Gaelscoil de hÍde in Oranmore, County Galway, has been turned into a political farce. Public representatives have attended a number of meetings and I have tabled parliamentary questions and raised the matter on the Adjournment. The latest is that the OPW is investigating several sites and conducting talks. Will the school be in a position to welcome students in the coming autumn or not? Cá bhfuil an suíomh sin, agus cathain a bheidh sé ar chumas na dtuismitheoirí agus na múinteoirí liosta a cheapadh don scoilbhliain atá le teacht?

Consider Scoil na hAirde Móire, whose uimhir rolla is 105911. Tá mé ag cur ceisteanna faoin scoil sin leis na blianta. I am not interested in who neglected the school in the past or if it was neglected for several generations. I am simply asking whether a new school will be provided or whether such urgent repairs as will enable proper education to take place will be made.

On Scoil Mhuire, Clarinbridge, many parents have written to me stating they are awaiting definite answers on vital works that need to be carried out at the school. The same is true of Scoil Bhríde in Shantalla in Galway city — this is in my area — and Scoil Bhríde in Tír na Cille, An Mám, Contae na Gaillimhe. The poor parents affected — God bless them — are wondering about the long period for which their children must wait for services. They are waiting for permission to get a bus.

I am bearing in mind the context in which I raise the issue of these schools. While one cannot move capital moneys from one Department to another, it is worth bearing in mind that the OPW had €55 million unspent last year. It ran on into the current financial year €31 million in respect of projects that are as yet unspecified. It yielded up €24 million to the Department of Finance. As a former Minister, I do not regard it as a great performance to yield up this amount to the Department of Finance, nor can it be regarded as a sparkling performance not to be able to spend €55 million when there are so many urgent cases in front of the Minister of State's nose. Why could we not have deflected that money to urgent works for the repair of schools, including those I have mentioned? I appeal to the Minister of State simply to give a precise date to those involved so this can be lifted out of the realm of politics and the atmosphere into which we will all be plunged as we prepare for the general election. The children deserve that.

Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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On behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, I thank the Deputy for raising these matters as it affords me the opportunity to outline to this House the Department of Education and Science position regarding the development of education provision in the schools outlined by the Deputy. I will highlight with the Minister the request for a date.

Gaelscoil Dara, Renmore, is a co-educational primary school with a current staffing of a principal and ten mainstream assistant teachers. Enrolments at the school have increased from 230 in 2002 to 270 currently. Officials in the Department have completed an assessment of the application for a new build school and the long term projected staffing for the school and I can confirm that the proposed accommodation will be for a principal and 16 mainstream teachers and this information has been notified to the school authorities.

The Department is actively engaged in sourcing a suitable site to facilitate the construction of a new school building and to that end is in ongoing discussions with the GMIT. The Deputy can be assured that the permanent accommodation needs of the school is being addressed as expeditiously as possible.

Gaelscoil de hÍde, Oranmore, is a co-educational primary school with a current staffing of a principal and six mainstream assistant teachers. Enrolments at the school have increased from 125 in 2002 to 170 currently. Again, officials in the Department have completed an assessment of the application for a new build school and the long-term projected staffing for Gaelscoil de hÍde, Oranmore, will be for a principal plus 16 mainstream teachers and this also has been notified to the school authorities.

The current position regarding the site acquisition is that the Office of Public Works, which acts generally on behalf of the Department on the acquisition of sites for schools, has been asked to source a suitable site for Gaelscoil de hÍde. On foot of advertisements a number of proposals were received and a technical assessment on the proposed sites was conducted. The OPW is currently in negotiations on the acquisition of the most suitable of these sites and is also in consultation with the local authority on how best to progress matters.

Scoil Phobail Mhic Dara, Carna, is a co-educational post-primary school. Enrolments at the school have decreased from 209 in 2002 to 155 currently. An application for an extension has been received from the school management authority. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria and is being considered in the context of the multi-annual school building and modernisation programme.

Scoil Mhuire, Clarinbridge, is a co-educational primary school with a current staffing of a principal and eight mainstream assistant teachers and one permanent developing post. Enrolments at the school have increased from 176 in 2002 to 245 currently. Officials in the Department have completed an assessment of the application for an extension to the school and the long-term projected staffing for Scoil Mhuire, Clarinbridge, will be for a principal plus 12 mainstream teachers and this has been notified to the school authorities.

The Department of Education and Science officials are in the process of drawing up a detailed accommodation brief for this school. A site visit is required to inform the final brief for the project and officials will be in contact with the school authority to arrange a site visit. On completion of the brief, the project will be considered in the context of the multi-annual school building and modernisation programme.

Scoil Bhríde, Shantalla, Galway city, is a co-educational primary school with a current staffing of a principal and 13 mainstream assistant teachers. Enrolments at the school have increased from 289 in 2002 to 365 currently. An application for capital funding was received in May 2006 from Scoil Bhríde, Shantalla. This application will be assessed with reference to factors such as current and projected enrolments at the school, the likely impact of ongoing and proposed housing developments and existing provision in the general area. When this assessment is complete, a decision will be taken on how best to provide for the current and emerging accommodation needs at the school. The proposed project will be considered in the context of the multi-annual school building and modernisation programme.

I thank the Deputy once again for raising these matters——

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Will the Minister of State get a few definite dates for that litany of schools?

Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I will speak to the Minister for Education and Science.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Tell her it is like a mantra, it is beginning to bore me.

Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the matter.