David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for choosing this matter this evening, thereby allowing me to raise it. I thank the Minister of State for taking this debate. Unfortunately, his ministerial colleagues in the Department of Education and Science, which has one Minister and two Ministers of State, could not be present. However, the Minister of State who is present is most competent to take this issue.

I raise the issue of the gaelscoil in Midleton again, more than 12 months after doing so previously. Gaelscoil Mhainistir na Corann now is well established and is attended by 305 pupils at present. Attendance will increase to 340 and 370 pupils next year and the year after, respectively. The school is growing at an alarming rate and needs one new classroom every year. It operates out of a community centre, which ironically has developed through taking out loans on the strength of getting rent from the Department, which it has used to build permanent rooms onto the community centre.

However, the community centre is not a suitable site and the town has lost its community centre as a result of the gaelscoil taking over the building. It has no playground as such, parking is inadequate and the school is spread out upstairs, downstairs and all over the place. Moreover, the school is set to grow even further. It is very popular and successful and, increasingly, parents are choosing this school, as is their right. More than 50 children are seeking to enrol in 2010 with a waiting list of 30.

Ironically, had the Department decided a number of years ago to build and fund a new school, the amount it has expended on rent over that period would have funded such a development and its pupils now would have a new school. This cockeyed policy of spending millions upon millions on rental accommodation does not make sense to me because sooner or later, the Department will be obliged to build a new school anyway. The community centre management is delighted because the centre now has many new rooms that ultimately will benefit the community. In the short term however, the students are being short-changed. The Minister of State should revert to the Department of Education and Science to reconsider this school. The school itself considers itself to be abandoned and has little contact with the Department. It has a band rating that I contend is not suitable to its needs.

The population in the area is growing at a significant rate and this is an urgent need. Building a new school would provide much needed employment in the area, particularly to the construction industry. That should be part of policies across the House. Instead of allocating money to renting prefabs, let us build new, solid schools for the education of our children. I hope the Minister of State has positive news for me, not a cut and paste version of what I got 12 months ago or a cut and paste version of answers to parliamentary questions I tabled during the year. This seems to happen more and more. I hope the Minister of State will take the message back to the Department that we must start planning for a new gaelscoil in Mainistir na Corann as soon as possible.

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I apologise that the senior Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, cannot be present to respond.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Nor his deputies.

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am a Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, with responsibility for special education. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline the strategy for capital investment in education projects and also to outline the current position of Gaelscoil Mhainistir na Corann.

Modernising facilities in the existing building stock, as well as the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth, is a significant challenge and is one of the priorities of the Minister for Education and Science. The allocation of funding for school buildings in 2009 is €653 million. This represents a significant investment in the schools building and modernisation programme. This level of funding, at a time of great pressure on public finances, is a sign of the Government's commitment to investing in school infrastructure and will permit the continuation of progress in the overall improvement of school accommodation.

All applications for capital funding are assessed in the planning and building unit of the Department of Education and Science. The assessment process determines the extent and type of need based on the demographics of an area, the proposed housing developments, the condition of buildings and site capacity etc., leading ultimately to an appropriate accommodation solution.

Gaelscoil Mhainistir na Corann currently has 305 pupils and staffing of a principal plus ten mainstream teachers, one developing post, two full-time learning support teachers and one shared learning support teacher. The school has submitted an application for permanent accommodation and this project has been given a band rating of 1.1 for a new school in a developing area which is the highest priority that can be assigned.

In 2007, a developer proposed transferring a site to the Department. Departmental officials carried out a technical examination of the site and subsequently wrote to the developer requesting contract documents. The Department is continuing to liaise with the developer on the proposed site transfer and has recently requested an update from the developer as to the status of the original offer. In the interim, the Department has sanctioned the rental of temporary premises and accommodation in Midleton Community Centre in order for the school to operate.

Regarding the school's immediate accommodation needs for September 2009, the Department has recently written directly to the school approving funding, in principle, for additional accommodation. However, the Department has requested clarification of certain terms and conditions in the school's proposal. The Department will continue to work with the school on this.

Progression of a project to provide permanent accommodation for this school will be considered in the context of overall primary level provision in the Midleton area and in the context of the multi-annual school building programme. However, it is not possible to progress all projects at the same time. In light of current demands on the capital budget of the Department, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of the project. I thank Deputy Stanton for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the current position of Gaelscoil Mhainistir na Corann.