Dáil debates
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Adjournment Debate
Schools Building Projects
3:00 pm
James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for affording me time to discuss this important matter. Also, I welcome the new Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills and I wish him the best of luck in his new portfolio. This matter concerns the need for the Minister to provide essential funding for a new school building for Curraghmore national school, Mullingar, County Westmeath, which currently has seven out of eight classes accommodated in prefabs at an annual cost of â¬84,800 and at a total cost of â¬450,000 for the past ten years. Some of these temporary structures were second-hand when installed ten years ago and they have deteriorated considerably in the intervening years.
The wastage by the previous Government has played a large part in the predicament in which many schools have found themselves. One of the major scandals associated with the Fianna Fáil Green Party Government was that so much money was wasted on white elephants while schools were neglected. Schools which should of necessity have been provided with the construction of new buildings many years ago have had to struggle on in sub-standard temporary accommodation, which has cost taxpayers millions of euro.
Curraghmore national school has been informed of a rapid school development list which can enable schools to be built in 35 weeks. While I am not fully aware of the provision, Curraghmore would be a contender for a top ranking on such a list. Despite being informed by the Department ten years ago that an eight classroom school was required and should be built for Curraghmore, nothing has materialised in the intervening time.
Curraghmore is an eight teacher school of 210 pupils with seven classes in prefabs for the past ten years. Costs for this temporary accommodation have already amounted to â¬500,000. With pupils receiving all of their primary education in such accommodation, which is seriously outmoded, there are serious associated health and safety risks. Poor ventilation can cause asthma, leaks and decay of the prefabs are a serious concern, flooding, rot, broken gutters, leaking pipes and traffic congestion impact adversely on education and well being. Physical development is at risk with lack of exercise facilities potentially leading to obesity. There is no green area for play. Outside breaks and physical education take place on a tarmacadam surface. Since the school has no general purpose room or gymnasium, exercise is weather dependent. The school has no money for the provision of buses to local sports facilities. Cold winters have led to pipes freezing. In turn, this has lead to a lack of water, heat, toilet facilities and, ultimately, school closures.
The Department of Education and Skills has identified a need for extra primary school classes in the Mullingar area and has made it clear that funding will be provided for a new school only if extra class spaces are provided. All other schools in the area are operating to full capacity. If it were provided with the necessary facilities, Curraghmore could relieve some of this pressure on places.
A four acre site is required for the new school as near as possible to the current location. Westmeath County Council has agreed to begin the compulsory purchase order process on zoned land on the Ardmore Road, Mullingar. The local bishop has given a commitment in writing to the Department of Education and Skills that the parish will purchase the land. While I am aware that the Minister has inherited a flawed system with limited resources, I impress on him the urgent need for a permanent built environment for this school, which has waited for ten years for a commitment to a new school building to be met. I hope to hear good news from the Minister of State this evening.
Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I am replying to this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairà Quinn. I thank Deputy Bannon for raising the matter since it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in school building projects and to outline the current position on the building project to provide for a new school building to replace the existing Curraghmore national school in Mullingar, County Westmeath.
In its programme for Government, the Government is committed to drawing up a new national development plan that reflects Ireland's changed economic circumstances, covering the seven-year period from 2012 to 2019. The plan will be based on a comprehensive study of Ireland's public investment priorities in that period. In the initial years, when resources will be most heavily constrained, the programme for Government commits to prioritising investment in several specific areas, including school buildings. The Government will insist that major capital projects are subjected to proper cost-benefit analysis and evaluation, improving future productivity and growth prospects, and that the value for money obtained is significantly enhanced compared to the most recent period. Modernising facilities in our existing building stock as well as responding to the emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth will continue to be a significant challenge.
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 and so forth, 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 schools building and modernisation programme on the basis of priority of need which 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. There are four band ratings overall, of which band one is the highest and band four the lowest. Band one projects, for example, include the provision of buildings where none currently exists but there is a high demand for pupil places, while a band four project makes provision for desirable but not necessarily urgent or essential facilities such as a library or new sports hall.
A project to provide new accommodation for Curraghmore national school has been assigned a band two rating under the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects. The provision, however, of a new building for the school necessitates the acquisition of a site. In this regard, the Department is in ongoing discussion with the local authority with a view to acquiring a suitable site for the proposed new school building. However, due to the commercial sensitivities pertaining to site acquisitions generally, it is not possible for me to comment further at this time.
When a site is available, consideration can be given to the inclusion of a building project for the school in the Department's multi-annual schools building and modernisation programme. However, in light of competing demands on the capital budget of the Department, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of this project at this time.
I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the current position regarding the school building project for Curraghmore national school.