Dáil debates

Tuesday, 19 October 2010

Adjournment Debate.

Schools Building Projects

8:00 am

Photo of Michael McGrathMichael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this matter, an important one for Ballygarvan, County Cork. The need for a new national school building in Ballygarvan was accepted by the Department of Education and Skills in the late 1990s. Enrolment at the school has expanded in recent years while conditions in the existing buildings are substandard with an over reliance on expensive prefab accommodation. There is also a lack of space for recreational and play areas for the children.

The Department approved a 16-classroom school to be built on a green-field site. The project, however, was bedevilled by the need to secure a suitable site. Although three separate land parcels with three separate owners comprised the preferred site, after enormous work by the local community, its public representatives and the Department the site was secured. The then Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, who also had served the constituency as a Deputy, approved the appointment of a design team and the project progressed through the various planning stages. It was then put out to tender.

The school was to be constructed using a modular build model in a five-month timescale. The preferred bidder for the school building project is McInerney Holdings but it went into interim examinership recently. I hope it will be in a position to fulfil its contract with this building and begin construction as soon as possible.

The community in Ballygarvan wants to know the status of the project and if the preferred bidder will be able to proceed. If this were not to be the case, will the project have to be retendered or can the Department select the next bidder from the original tender process? The local community also wants funding for the project to be confirmed. If construction proceeded, it would be a great boost to this close-knit community which has fund-raised for many years for a new school building. Will the Minister of State give some indication as to when construction on site will begin and a reassurance the project is going ahead?

Photo of Ciarán CuffeCiarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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I am taking this matter on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Coughlan. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the strategy for capital investment in education projects and, in particular, Ballygarvan national school.

The allocation of funding for school buildings in 2010 is just under €579 million, including the carryover of €72 million deferred funding from 2009. 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 the Department's programme of sustained investment in primary and post primary schools.

With regard to Ballygarvan national school, the need to provide for additional school places has already been determined. Consequently, the proposed project for the construction of a new 16-classroom school was one of 25 projects announced to commence architectural planning in February 2009. Following this announcement, detailed designs were prepared, planning permission lodged and a tender competition held. Unfortunately, delays in securing planning permission and the acquisition by the patron of the two parcels of land required for the proposed new school building have impacted on the scheduled delivery of the project.

However, I am pleased that planning permission for the proposed new school was granted in May and the acquisition of the site completed by the patron in recent weeks. The completion of the land transfers in recent weeks by the patron has enabled the Department to enter into discussions with the preferred bidder. The Deputy will appreciate these discussions are at a sensitive stage. Accordingly, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further on them. When these discussions have concluded, the implications for the project will then be examined. In the meantime, the Department will continue to liaise with the patron and the school authorities regarding the proposed project.