Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Ar dtús báire, ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil le oifig an Chinn Comhairle agus leis an Cathaoirleach as cead a thabhairt dom an cheist thábhachtach áitiúil seo a ardú. I welcome the former Minister for Education and Science and congratulate him on his new posting. St. Joseph's secondary school in Rush, as the Minister will know from his previous portfolio, was built to have a capacity of 450. It now depends on three additional prefabs to a large extent. The width of the corridors is very narrow given that it will have 591 students next September. It has had a growth rate of 35.6% over the past five years. Frank Murray from the Department of Education and Skills certainly knows all about this. The whole-school evaluation that was completed in recent months makes it clear that not only is it the only second level school in Rush, County Dublin, but also that the school student numbers have grown significantly in recent years and the school now caters for more than 500 students from the environs of Rush and beyond. There is a large cohort of students with English as an additional language attending the school. The school is designated in the local area plan to grow to 1,000 students. Things are moving on quickly and it comes back to when we can get the technical assessment and a commitment to build the new school.

The Department's evaluation states that the school is at maximum capacity at present, has limited room for expansion and three prefabricated buildings have been hired to accommodate classrooms. In addition, the canteen also serves as a PE hall and there are no playing pitches in the immediate environs of the school, which makes facilitation of PE a challenge - that is one word for it. One third of all students commented negatively on the facilities in the school. It is amazing that the school has such good morale and such an excellent whole-school evaluation on the basis of that reality.

I would like that the correspondence I have had over several years might tonight at least come to some conclusion as to where we are going. When I wrote to the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe's, predecessor in the Department of Education and Science, the Minister, Deputy Hanafin, seeking her assistance in having the technical assessment into St. Joseph's secondary school carried out, I mentioned that she would be aware that the site of the school is inadequate for any expansion to take place. That has been acknowledged by the Department of Education and Skills in the document Area Development Plan for North Dublin by the Commission on School Accommodation. The school has gained temporary additional classroom space by installing Portakabin buildings adjacent to the existing school building. Although these have been in place for a long time now, this is a temporary measure to address the local needs and accommodate students from Rush and also Lusk which does not yet have a secondary school and is depending on Rush to a large extent. Many students from Donabate - even though it has a new school - depend on St. Joseph's.

I mentioned to the Minister's predecessor that a meeting had taken place between the principal, the community department of Fingal County Council director of services Senan Turnbull and the former councillor, my Green Party colleague, Joe Corr. The council is broadly supportive of the relocation of the school and has already suggested a preferred location. However, Mr. Turnbull is limited in what he can do to facilitate negotiations for a land swap owing to the absence of a technical assessment report from the Department of Education and Skills.

I got a reply indicating that my concerns had been noted and that my correspondence had been sent to the developing area section of the Department for attention. I waited and waited. I then had to write to the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, when he was appointed to the Department of Education and Science. I congratulated him on his appointment as I congratulate him again on his appointment as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. Again, I was asking for that technical assessment for St. Joseph's secondary school back in 2008. I reiterated many of the same points I had indicated to the Minister, Deputy Hanafin. I got a reply stating that inquiries were being made about the matter and that a further letter would issue as soon as possible. I wrote again when I did not hear back. I received a reply that the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, would be in further contact with me.

I wish to put on the record that while we are waiting, the school is bursting at the seams. It is not fair on the principal, staff and students to be left even though a site has been earmarked beside St. Maur's GAA complex. There is the Kenure local area plan. Fingal County Council is good at co-operating with the Department on shared community facilities for community gain and is willing to play ball again if the Department will do likewise.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I am responding to this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Mary Coughlan. I thank the Deputy 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 in relation to St Joseph's secondary school, Rush, County Dublin.

Modernising facilities in our existing building stock, as well as responding 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 school buildings and ensure 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, site capacity etc. 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.

A whole-school evaluation of management, leadership and learning was undertaken between 22 and 24 February this year in St Joseph's secondary school, Rush. Following this, the WSE report issued to the board of management of the school on 29 April and the Department is currently awaiting the school's response to the report. The WSE report will not be finalised until the school's response is received. Therefore I am not in a position to make any further comment on the report or its contents.

A project for an extension and refurbishment for St Joseph's secondary school is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. The project has been assigned a priority band rating of 2.4 under the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. The brief for the project at St Joseph's is for the provision of an extension of additional mainstream classrooms and facilities and a PE hall of 608 metres squared. The brief also provides for an extensive refurbishment of the existing school buildings. St Joseph's was also granted funding of over €250,000 under the summer works scheme in 2007 for the provision of tarmac and fire alarms. The school was also approved for the rental of three mainstream classrooms in 2007.

The Department has no record of an application from the school for a new school building on a greenfield site. If the school wishes to propose such a development the Department will give it due consideration on receipt of any such proposal. 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. In the absence of any other proposal or application from the school, the project to provide an extension and refurbishment for St Joseph's secondary school will continue to be considered in the context of the Department's multi-annual school building and modernisation programme for 2011 and subsequent years. However, in light of current competing demands on the Department's capital budget, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of the project at this time.

Again, I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the current position regarding the school building project for St Joseph's secondary school, Rush, County Dublin.