Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 102: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when she established the developing areas unit which will liaise with local authorities, identify where new schools are needed and ensure that they are delivered in the fastest possible timeframe; the section and name of the person responsible; the number of staff and grades presently working in the developing areas unit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21574/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has been prioritising developing areas for investment under the school building and modernisation programme. During the period of the previous National Development Plan 2000-2006, record levels of investment and the streamlining of delivery systems allowed a major acceleration of the schools building programme. More than €2.6 billion was invested in upgrading existing school infrastructure and providing new school accommodation at both first and second level. This was the largest investment programme in the history of the State and delivered more than 7,800 building projects involving tens of thousands of extra permanent school places.

Innovations in the delivery of school buildings, such as generic repeat designs and the use of the design and build model, have been introduced to ensure new school buildings are delivered in the fastest time possible. Greater authority has been devolved to local school management boards to manage and deliver smaller building projects, thereby freeing my Department to concentrate on the large-scale projects. We have improved forward planning through greater co-operation with local authorities and the publication of ten-year area development plans. All of these developments have facilitated the provision of extra school places in extensions and new schools in developing areas all over the country.

This is the first year of the roll-out of the NDP, which will involve an investment of more than €4.5 billion in school buildings, enabling us to take a pro-active approach to the provision of modern school accommodation, particularly in developing areas. We are planning for an expected 100,000 additional school places in the plan's lifetime. This year, approximately €540 million will be spent on school building infrastructure, with more than 1,500 projects on the school building programme. Construction this year will deliver 700 classrooms.

The commitment to a developing areas unit in the programme for Government reflects a desire to build on the improvements made in school planning in recent years and to ensure an even sharper focus on developing areas. The unit will liaise with local authorities, identify where new schools are needed and ensure their delivery as quickly as possible. Although we are only a few months into the lifetime of the current Government, the administrative and technical staffing requirements for the unit, including issues of grading and reporting structures, are under consideration with a view to advancing the commitment's implementation.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I thank the Minister for her good wishes. In future, can the House have a reply to the question asked? The lecture was most interesting, but the Minister has not answered a single point of my question.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The question was put in the past tense, namely, when I established the unit.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Yes.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The answer I set out was that we are in the process of establishing the unit.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Minister has not established it yet.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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It is in the programme for Government.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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It has been three months.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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If I may remind the Deputy of my comments, the administrative and technical staffing arrangements and the grading and reporting structures are under consideration. This does not mean we are not planning.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Government has had the past ten years.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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For many years, the Department has had a full planning and building unit with many staff. It has worked constantly with local authorities to devise area development plans.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Minister has been in her role for three years. The programme for Government makes a specific commitment, but the Minister has been in office in the current Government for more than three months. She is trying to claim that she was aware of the problem and that she has done much work, but is it any wonder there is a problem in Balbriggan if she cannot answer a question about the specific commitment to a unit with a principal officer or some other staffing?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am sure there was a question in there.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I doubt it. Due to the co-operation of people who are willing to provide extra spaces and schools, there is no problem in Balbriggan.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Segregated education.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The people of Balbriggan are upset by allegations of racism against them when that was not the case. The Department of Education and Science has a strong development and planning unit and close links with the local councils, which are obliged to notify and consult with the Department on zonings and developments. During the coming weeks, we will be tightening up on the individuals involved in the issue.