Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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At the outset, I will give a brief history of Dromclough national school. On the recommendation of a Department inspector, Dr. Pádraig Ó Donnabháin, an application for an extension to the school building was submitted to the Department building unit in 2002. In January 2003, a detailed comprehensive application was submitted to the Department for a major refurbishment and extension to the school. In June 2004, as no progress had manifested, a small Portakabin was purchased and divided into three cubicles to provide accommodation of three resource and learning support areas. This Portakabin was purchased following the fundraising activities of the community. No grant assistance was furnished by the Department. The school authorities were informed by the Department that no funding was available for this project.

In January 2006, following an interim period of two years, the board of management and the local communities were elated to receive correspondence from the building unit of the Department stating that approval had been sanctioned for an eight classroom school. The board of management was advised in correspondence to expect a site visit from the Department's technical design team at a date prior to Easter 2006. If that was not possible, the board of management were assured that a site visit would take place before the commencement of the summer of 2006. However, the proposed site visit has not taken place.

While waiting for the proposed site visit, the board of management contacted the Department to seek grant assistance to extend the school car park. This request was made due to concerns regarding increased traffic flow on a narrow road at the entrance to the school and after consultation with parents and gardaí. The board of management were advised not to continue with this application as it would jeopardise the previous application for the major refurbishment and extension.

In June 2008, the board of management gratefully accepted an offer of one prefabricated building, which was no longer required by a school in the area. That school was due to be demolished because it was in such a bad condition. The board of management applied to DEIS for grant assistance of €25,000 to assist the relocation of the prefab to Dromclough national school and was grateful on receiving it.

The existing accommodation consists of three small rooms of 45 m2 that were constructed in 1964. There are three classrooms of good standard that were constructed in 1981. There is one prefabricated building that was secured in 1991 and a Portakabin, locally funded, that was added in 2004. One salvaged second-hand prefabricated building was secured in 2008.

The conditions in the school and the prefabs are deplorable. The electric wiring is dangerous and is an accident waiting to happen. The school has totally inadequate access for disabled pupils and parents. Currently, there is one pupil in the infant class whose father is wheelchair-bound. The refusal of the Department to allow the school carry out a survey is unfathomable. When the wheelchair-bound parent visits the school a temporary ramp must be fitted in place. There is no wheelchair accessible toilet or disabled parking. Security at the school is of major concern. There are 11 entrances to the school.

Dromclough national school is a very progressive school. The parents have a strong record of support for the school throughout the years. This is evidenced by the fact that a Portakabin was added to the school in 2004 for use by special needs students. The small Portakabin was divided into three sections to facilitate resource teachers and their pupils. The Portakabin was totally funded by the community.

There are 16 staff in the school. The principal carries out her managerial and administrative duties in a space that was formerly a toilet. There are no ancillary rooms, library, proper medical facilities, reception area and no storage. It will be an indictment on the previous Government and on this Government if funding is not made available immediately to proceed with the design to build a school in that area, which is long overdue. It is probably one of the worst schools in County Kerry.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I am replying to this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills. I thank the Deputy for raising this, as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in school building projects and also to outline the current application by the school authority to provide for an extension to Dromclough national school in Listowel ,County Kerry.

As the Deputy will be aware 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 school buildings, site capacity and so forth, leading to an appropriate accommodation solution. As part of the assessment process a school project is assigned a band rating under the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. These criteria were devised following consultation with the education partners.

Under the prioritisation criteria, 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 1 is the highest and band 4 the lowest. Band 1 projects, for example, include the provision of school accommodation where there is no existing school or where existing provision is unable to meet the demand for pupil places. A band 4 project makes provision for desirable but not necessarily urgent or essential facilities, such as a library or new sports hall.

The project to provide for an extension and refurbishment for Dromclough national school has been assigned a band 2.2 rating under the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects. The school has a current staffing level of a principal and seven mainstream teachers. It also has the services of three learning support-resource teachers. Its accommodation comprises six mainstream permanent classrooms, two temporary mainstream classrooms and three ancillary accommodation. The school's enrolment was 193 pupils at September 2010. With regard to enrolment, there has been no change in its pupil numbers over the last five years and, therefore, the school is not experiencing the rapid increase in enrolments that have occurred in other schools around the county.

The progression of all large-scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction will 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 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 the opportunity to outline to the House the current position regarding the school building project for Dromclough national school, Listowel, County Kerry.