Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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On a number of occasions I have raised the issue of the future of Gaelscoil Barra in Cabra. This issue has been ongoing for the past 13 years and we are entering the 14th year in which this particular Irish school will be located in totally unsatisfactory prefabs. I will not rehearse the description of the circumstances but suffice it to say that in the elections of 1997, 2002 and 2007 the school was made promises which were never delivered and a member of the Government in a position of importance has been based in the constituency for all of this time. Thirteen years down the road, after the school has been shown to be viable, it is based in smelly outdated prefabs in weather like today's, with the toilets backing up and young children in damp smelly conditions.

The second full generation of children is going through the school. As far back as 2000, the Department of Education and Science commented on the prefabs, which had been in existence for only four years at that time. It stated that the deplorable state of the temporary accommodation made it imperative that the planning process be initiated as soon as possible. That was nine years ago and the planning process has not been initiated to date.

The problem, which has still not been overcome, is the provision of a suitable site. The Department went to the byways and highways - at least in theory - seeking a suitable site but did not find one. At present, the option of a suitable site on the site occupied by the prefab temporary school is being explored. These negotiations are taking place between the Department of Education and Science, the local GAA club - Naomh Fionnbarra - the school itself and Dublin City Council which has the lease on the area.

I understand that the proposal up for agreement is the site itself plus a portion of the roadside which has a green area public space. A technical assessment is being done, which as far as I can gather has been ongoing for the past three or four months with no solution or resolution appearing. There has been toing and froing with the Department of Education and Science, the local authority, the GAA and the board of management but the log-jam is still there and we do not have a site. The site has not been acquired and no agreement has been entered into, unless it has happened in the past couple of days.

We are facing into another election in 2009 with the school authorities pressing as much as they can to get the public representatives to resolve the matter, particularly the party in power. Regular meetings are being held, including one tonight. The Department of Education and Science has been invited to the meeting, as have the local authority and all public representatives. We hope to have some good news to announce to the weary parents and long-suffering children and staff of the school.

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I apologise to Deputy Áine Brady for calling her Deputy Áine Kitt earlier but I suppose, as Shakespeare stated, a rose by an other name.

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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I congratulate the Minister of State on her appointment.

Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Costello and the Ceann Comhairle.

I will reply to this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. I thank Deputy Joe Costello for raising the matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and also to outline the current position on the future plans for Gaelscoil Bharra in Cabra.

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 one which the Minister for Education and Science intends will be one of his priorities. The Government has dramatically increased investment in the school building programme to an unprecedented level of capital investment which reflects the commitment of the Government to continue its programme of sustained investment in primary and post primary schools. It will underpin a particular emphasis on the delivery of additional school places in rapidly developing areas while continuing to develop the Government's commitment to delivering improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary accommodation throughout the country.

Turning to the specific matter in hand, as the Deputy will be aware the Office of Public Works which acts on behalf of the Department in site acquisitions generally had been requested to source a greenfield site for this gaelscoil. On foot of advertising, no proposals were received for a greenfield site in the Cabra area. As a result, the issue of providing a permanent school on the existing temporary site then came into focus. To pursue this further, meetings have taken place between the Department and Dublin City Council regarding the potential availability of this site and the Department wrote to the council with a proposal suggesting that a lease arrangement be put in place.

Officials from the Department have met with the city council and representatives of the GAA club to discuss the issue of entering into a lease arrangement with the city council which in time will require the GAA club to surrender its interest on some of the lands required for a building project. In February 2009, Department officials met separately with representatives of Naomh Fionnbarra GAA Club to discuss three potential design options available to allow for the provision of an eight classroom school on the site. The club responded by way of letter in March 2009 indicating its preferred design option based on the options presented by the Department and highlighting their concerns that car parking for their members as well as the teaching staff be addressed.

On foot of this, the Department wrote to Dublin City Council advising it of the design option favoured by the GAA club and requested the local authority to consider a technical assessment of the site incorporating the views of the GAA. This response is awaited. The further progression of the acquisition of this site and the accompanying building project will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to the Department for school buildings generally. I thank the Deputy once again for affording me the opportunity to outline to the House the current position on the future plans for Gaelscoil Bharra in Cabra.