Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this issue. Everyone who follows the news will be familiar with the problems being experienced in rapidly developing parts of Dublin and other cities where the provision of school facilities has fallen behind the rapid increase in population. Fortunately, the position is better this year. Following the crisis that occurred last year, which resulted in the Department setting up emergency schools during the summer, action was taken in recent months. As a result of this and the decisions to establish one or two new schools in Dublin 15 while expanding existing schools, we will not experience the problems we had in the past.

The difficulty to which I refer concerns three schools — Castleknock community college, the only non-fee paying school in Castleknock, which has a population of 40,000; St. Mochta's national school in Clonsilla; and St. Brigid's national school, Beech Park Castleknock. The three schools were approached by the Department of Education and Science to expand. St. Mochta's was asked to accept a fourth stream and the community college was asked to increase its intake to 210 students per year. Each school agreed to do so. In return, they were promised new school buildings with modern classrooms to facilitate the expansion with two schools promised sports halls. However, the Department has not honoured its commitment and the schools have been informed they cannot apply for planning permission or even to go to architectural stage in one case.

That is a serious breach of faith on the part of the Department, which has a problem with schools refusing to expand. The schools to which I refer responded to the Department's need and went along with its request but they have been shafted for reasons that are unclear to them and myself. I am interested in the Minister of State's response. If he has influence with the line Minister in this regard, I appeal to him to put pressure on the Department to ensure these projects proceed because if they do not, the message will be sent to other schools that if they agree to a request by the Department to expand, they cannot rely on the commitment and guarantees given in return. That will have knock-on effects in other constituencies.

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I am taking this motion on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Mary Hanafin. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and for giving me the opportunity of outlining to the House the actions being taken by the Department of Education and Science to address the school accommodation needs in the Dublin 15 area. I am conscious that the Dublin 15 area, as a whole, is one of the most rapidly developing areas in the country, as Deputy Varadkar stated, and, as a result, there has been a marked increase in the demand for primary school places.

The Department conducted a survey of all primary schools in Dublin 15 to determine the number of junior infants who enrolled in September 2006 and 2007. This survey indicated considerable numbers of children applied to enrol in more than one school. While this is understandable from parents' point of view, it also has the result of inflating the number of children apparently seeking places. Notwithstanding this, the Department of Education and Science is aware of the accommodation demands for September and is addressing this requirement. I assure the Deputy that all options will be considered to ensure that there are enough school places in September.

The Deputy will be aware that the programme for Government included a commitment to establish a developing areas unit in the Department of Education and Science, dedicated solely to progressing school planning in rapidly developing areas, including Dublin 15, building on improvements that have been made in recent years.

The Department is taking a number of measures to increase the capacity of existing schools in the area concerned with the development of new schools to meet this growing demand. All building projects arising from these are awarded a band 1 priority rating under the Department's prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects to ensure that they are delivered as expeditiously as possible.

The position on recent and ongoing developments in the provision of school accommodation in the Dublin 15 area is as follows. A new 16 classroom school for Mary Mother of Hope national school in Littlepace opened in September 2007. In addition, a new school for Castaheany Educate Together is on schedule to open for September 2008 and a new school for St. Benedict's national school is set to follow shortly thereafter. Extension projects for primary schools in Castleknock, Blanchardstown and Corduff are also being progressed. In the Diswellstown area, St. Patrick's national school moved into a new 24-classroom school last year. This will facilitate an annual three-stream intake.

A site is being secured for a new permanent school building for Tyrrelstown Educate Together national school and Mulhuddart national school and these buildings will be progressed. A new State model community national school, under the patronage of County Dublin Vocational Education Committee, is to be piloted in Phibblestown from September 2008. This will initially provide accommodation for an eight-classroom school, to be expanded to 24 classrooms as need is assessed.

With regard to the specific schools to which the Deputy refers, the current position is as follows. Castleknock community school is at stage 3 of early architectural planning. The stage 3 submission has been received and reviewed by the Department's technical staff and is awaiting approval. As soon as approval is received for this stage, the Department will liaise with the school authorities. St. Brigid's national school, Castleknock, is at stage 1 of early architectural planning. The Department's technical staff requested additional information on the stage 1 submission and this information is being reviewed. A report on the stage 1 submission will issue as soon as possible.

St. Mochta's national school was expanded in 2006 to cater for an annual four-stream intake. The extension to cater for this development has been progressed to architectural planning and a project supervisor for the design process has been appointed. The appointment of a design team will be progressed as soon as possible. All three school projects are being progressed without delay.

Due to the level of demand emanating from the Dublin 15 area, the need to make further provision at primary level in addition to that outlined above is being kept under continuous review by the Department. I am confident that the measures outlined will assist in alleviating the immediate demand for pupil places in the area and I thank Deputy Varadkar for allowing me the opportunity to outline the Department's position on school provision in this area.