Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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There is an ongoing issue at St. Eunan's College. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Coghlan, is very well aware of it and her predecessor, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, met the previous principal a couple of years ago. The matter is very much on the Government's table and I want to put on the record that as a result of Opposition pressure the Government is standing up with open ears. However, while listening is an important aspect of any process, delivery is the most important.

St. Eunan's College has capacity for 500 students but 900 boys study there with an additional seven rented prefabricated classrooms. There is an obvious question mark over this rental, in terms of taxpayers' interest in value for money. A total of 900 boys study at the college, 115 of whom will sit their leaving certificate examinations in June. The number of boys enrolled for next September is 180 and there is a capacity issue, as the declarations of interest that a further 180 boys will enroll in September 2011 puts much pressure on a college that already finds it difficult to pass health and safety aspects, never mind accommodating the need that exists.

The college is in a demographic area designated as 1.1, an area of rapid expansion. The 2006 census showed the population of the wider Letterkenny area increased in size by 89%. The project is at planning stage 2(a), which was submitted to the Department of Education and Skills at the beginning of April. Questions relating to the overall cost of the project are with McGinley, Doherty & Deery Architects.

While the prefabs ease the pressure for academic needs, they do not meet the practical learning, extra-curricular, sanitary and health and safety needs. The school has insufficient science labs, toilets and canteen areas and the stairs and corridors are too narrow for 900 boys and a large staff. The role of the Minister and the Government is facilitation and in this instance, this means allowing students learn and teachers teach. Teachers cannot teach in the current environment and students are being held back.

In November 2009, the then Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, stated that in light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the Department it would not be possible to give an indicative timeframe for the delivery of the project. The school and its community understand that a process involving various stages of planning permission, tendering and construction will take time. We do not expect the school to be built by September but we need an indicative timeframe from the Minister on when it will be built. Will it take two or three years? The school, the board of management, the teachers and the principal are owed that information to make their management decisions and preparations.

We have to be careful because an announcement on further prefabs has been made. This cannot be used as a short-term measure. The only reason the school has to get these prefabs is because of health and safety concerns. They should not be used as a filibuster in the short term. We need to consider the medium to long term.

Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I will take this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Mary Coghlan. I thank Deputy Joe McHugh for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and also to outline the current position on St. Eunan's College, Letterkenny, County Donegal.

At the outset I want to say that modernising facilities in our existing building stock as well as the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth is a significant challenge. The Government has shown a consistent determination to improve the condition of our school buildings and to ensure that the appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum.

The allocation of funding for school buildings in 2010 is a little under €579 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 it will permit the continuation of the Department's programme of sustained investment in primary and post primary schools.

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

As part of this process, a project is assigned a band rating under published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects. These criteria were devised following consultation with the education partners. Projects are selected for inclusion in the school building and modernisation programme on the basis of priority of need. This is reflected in the band rating assigned to a project. In other words, a proposed building project moves through the system commensurate with the band rating assigned to it.

The brief for the project at St. Eunan's College is the provision of a new school of 7,444 sq. m on the existing site to cater for a long term projected enrolment of 900 pupils. Accommodation to be provided will include 29 general classrooms, a full suite of specialist subject rooms including home economics, construction studies, technical graphics, four science laboratories, art and craft rooms, a music and drama area, computer rooms, ancillary accommodation and a PE facility of 798 sq. m.

The project has been assigned a priority band rating of 1.1 under the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects. As the Deputy stated, the project is currently at stage 2(a), which is developed sketch scheme. The stage 2(a) submission, which was received in March of this year, has been examined by the Department and detailed technical comments issued to the board of management and its design team on the 30 April. A revised stage 2(a) submission has been requested by the Department to address the issues raised.

The progression of all large-scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction is dependent on the prioritisation of competing demands on the funding available under the Department's capital budget. The project to provide a new school for St. Eunan's College will continue to be considered in the context of the Department's multi-annual school building and modernisation programme for 2011 and subsequent years. In the meantime, the Department has recently issued approval for the rental of four 49 sq. m prefabs to alleviate the immediate accommodation needs of the school. The school is now seeking quotes for this accommodation.

I again thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the current position regarding the school building project for St. Eunan's College.