James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for affording me the opportunity to raise this important issue for my constituency, namely, the need for the Minister for Education and Science to give the go-ahead for Ballymahon vocational school's refurbishment project to go to tender without further procrastination or reconsideration on her part. A sum of €1.3 million was ring-fenced for the project under the devolved grant and guaranteed by Deputy Peter Kelly and Councillor Barney Steele before the previous general election. Approval was confirmed several times during the election campaign, as highlighted in the Longford newspapers and on local radio stations.

"Procrastination" is the operative word in this context. How much longer can this 202-pupil post-primary school be expected to wait for the necessary refurbishment to provide a 21st century education for those under its care? I will cite the words of the Minister in a reply to a parliamentary question I tabled on the issue:

The proposed project referred to is at an advanced stage. Further progression will be considered on an ongoing basis in the context of my Department's multiannual school building and modernisation programme.

I have twice received an identical reply aimed at deflecting my request for confirmation of the time at which the project will be allowed to go to tender. The board of management, under the chairmanship of Councillor Sean Farrell, principal, teachers, pupils and parents of Ballymahon vocational school have heard these words once too often. The time has come to face up to the question and answer it directly.

In December 2007, the VEC was told not to proceed to tender until the Minister made a further announcement. However, Ballymahon vocational school was not included in the list of projects announced in the meantime. A further announcement is to be made shortly and the school is clinging to the hope that it will be given the green light and the project will proceed to tender. The Minister should imagine, if she can, a school which offers a wide range of subjects to junior and senior cycle pupils at junior and leaving certificate, leaving certificate applied and post-leaving certificate levels but does not have an upgraded computer room or home economics room. The Minister will be aware that the school has its fair share of special needs pupils who are very welcome and well integrated and a fine special needs unit. In addition, the school urgently needs new vehicular access, an external link corridor between buildings and a new administration area. A complete mechanical and, most important, electrical upgrade is urgently required in the interests of health and safety.

Ballymahon vocational school is a vibrant school with a wide range of sporting and extra-curricular activities running in conjunction with its excellent academic programme. However, it is being impeded in its educational endeavours by the delays and continued reconsideration of the progression of its vital development project. I ask the Minister of State to give me a definite time for the project to go to tender. The school has been disgracefully let down by the Minister and only a guarantee given this evening that the project can proceed to tender will satisfy the principal, teachers, parents and board of management.

It is unacceptable that the Minister, Government and local public representatives from the Government parties, Deputy Peter Kelly and Councillor Steele, make mileage at the expense of the school. Empty promises may win elections but such spin is shameful when the education of our children is concerned. I demand a positive answer which will allow the school to go to tender immediately because it is badly needed in the heart of my constituency.

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House, on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, the position regarding the proposed building project for Ballymahon vocational school, County Longford.

I will outline the procedures involved in selecting school building projects for inclusion in a school building programme. All applications for large-scale capital funding are assessed in the planning and building unit of the Department in accordance with published prioritisation criteria, which were formulated following consultation with the education partners. Under the criteria, individual applications are assigned a band rating which reflects the nature of the works required. There are four band ratings overall, with band 1 being the highest and band 4 the lowest. Progress on individual projects is consistent with the assigned band rating.

The band rating system was introduced to ensure openness and transparency in the allocation of capital funding to school infrastructural projects, target funding at the most urgently required projects first and ensure an orderly flow of projects through the school building and modernisation programme based on the priority of need presenting. Projects are selected for inclusion in any given capital programme on this basis. In other words, a building project moves through the system based on the band rating assigned to it, with the highest band rated projects moving first because the type of work required is the most urgent.

On the proposed building project referred to by the Deputy, Ballymahon vocational school is a co-educational post-primary school with a current enrolment of 156 pupils and enrolments have remained static over the last five years. The school does not have a deficit of mainstream accommodation but requires improvement works to be carried out to the existing school building. A design team has been appointed to this project and stage 2 of architectural planning has been approved, subject to certain technical requirements being adhered to.

Subsequent to the appointment of a design team, Longford VEC submitted an application for approval to acquire additional lands as part of the project. Although the additional lands are desirable, they are not essential to the project and this application was refused. As to when the project can proceed further, the Department's priorities for budgetary expenditure this year have to be for schools which have no mainstream accommodation and this project along with other projects will be considered in that context.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The Government has invested heavily in extending and upgrading our existing school stock in recent years because it has a full appreciation of the need to ensure that all our schools have adequate facilities. The Minister and her Department are committed to providing suitable high quality accommodation for Ballymahon vocational school at the earliest possible date.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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It is another broken promise in County Longford.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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As Deputy Tom Sheahan is not present, I call Deputy John Cregan.