Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Mar is eol don Aire Stáit, bhí muid ag caint faoin gceist seo ar 28 Meitheamh. Tá mé ar ais arís anois agus níl aon athrú ar an scéal. Bhí an Teachta romham ag caint ar oideachas triú leibhéal ach is í fírinne an scéil ná an rud a shocraíonn cé chomh maith a dhéanann scoláirí ná an t-oideachas bunleibhéal. Tá na saineolaithe ar fad ar aon tuairim, má éiríonn le daoine oideachas maith bunleibhéal a fháil, éireoidh leo sa dara leibhéal agus sa triú leibhéal freisin. Mar sin, creidim go bhfuil sé thar a bheith tábhachtach go ndíreoidh muid ar leibhéal na bunscoile.

Ní gá domsa dul siar ar scéal scoil an Bhaile Nua. Is scoil Gaeltachta í a bhí i gceist í a dhúnadh, ach níor dúnadh í. Tá ceithre oide sa scoil. Fuair an scoil deontas ón Rialtas deiridh le cuí a chur ar an scoil, ach tá seomra ilúsaidte ag teastáil. Dúirt an tAire Stáit liom anocht nach raibh an t-airgead ann leis an seomra a thógáil. Tá roinnt obreacha breise ag teastáil chomh maith - go hiomlán €790 le gach uile rud a bheadh le déanamh sa scoil. Cheana fein, tá an obair tosaithe ar an méid a bhí ceadaithe. Rinne mé scrúdú ar chaiteachas na Roinne, agus mar a tharlaíonn chuile bliain - ní eisceacht ar bith an bhliain seo - níl caiteachas na Roinne ag teacht i gcomhréir leis an méid airgid a bhí ar fáil. Tar éis 75% den bhliain a bheith caite, níl ach 71% den airgead caite ag an Roinn fós. Agus mar a tharla anuraidh, ag deireadh na bliana tabharfaidh an Roinn €16 mhilliún ar ais don Státchiste. Fós, táthar a rá nach féidir cúpla céad míle euro a thabhairt do scoil atá i mbun oibre i láthair na huaire agus a bhféadfadh an obair seo a dhéanamn roimh deireadh na bliana - jab ceart críochnúil - agus leis an seomra ilúsáidte agus na seomraí eile atá ag teastáil a chur ar fáil.

Mar a dúirt mé, tá an scoil seo i gceantar atá ag fás. Is ceantar é Maigh Chuilinn nach bhfuil ach deich míle nó 12 míle ó Ghaillimh. Tá daonra an-láidir sa cheantar agus tá fás air agus is scoil Gaeltachta atá inti. Is creidiúint í do phobal na háite agus do na múinteoirí sa scoil go bhfuil an stadás Gaeltachta coinnithe, ainneoin an méid brú daonra atá ar an cheantar.

Táim ag iarraidh ar Aire Stáit dhá rud a dhéanamh. Má dhéanann sé an chéad rud, ní gá dó an dara rud a dhéanamh. An céad rud atá mé ag iarraidh air a dhéanamh ná an t-airgead a cheadú. Tá an t-airgead ag an Roinn. Níl an Roinn ag caitheamh an méid airgid atá curtha ar fáil i soláthar na Roinne. Fuair mé freagra ar cheist pharlaiminte an tseachtain seo caite a dheireann nach bhfuil ag éirí leis an Roinn an t-airgead a chaitheamh. Tá an t-airgead ag an Roinn. In ainm Dé, ná tabhair ar ais don Roinn Airgeadais aon airgead, fiú tada é. Breathnaigh ag an am seo den bhliain ar na tograí beaga a bhféadfaí a dhéanamh go tapaidh - go bhfuil cead pleanála ann lena n-aghaidh agus a bhféadfaí a dhéanamh láithreach agus ceadaigh iad in ionad an t-airgead a thabhairt ar ais don Roinn Airgeadais.

An dara rud atá mé ag iarraidh ar an Aire Stáit a dhéanamh - má cheadaíonn sé an t-airgead, ní gá é a dhéanamh - ná cuairt a thabhairt ar an scoil. Thug mé cuireadh dó cheana cuairt a thabhairt ar an scoil. Nuair a fheicfidh sé láthair na scoile agus an obair atá ag teastáil agus na seomraí ranga atá sa scoil cheana féin, tá mé cinnte go n-aontóidh sé láithreach go mba ceart an t-airgead breise seo a chur ar fáil. Déanfar an obair láithreach agus cuirfear na billí isteach. Má cheadaíonn an tAire Stáit an obair seo tráthnóna inniu, rachaidh mé caol díreach ar ais chuig bord bainistíochta na scoile agus déarfaidh mé leo go bhfuil sé fíor-phráinneach go mbeidh an obair seo réitithe agus na billí istigh roimh an Nollaig le gur féidir leis an tAire Stáit an t-airgead a íoc amach as an farasbarr airgid atá fágtha ag an Roinn i láthair na huaire sa gciste.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Táim ag freagairt na ceiste seo thar ceann mo chomhleacaí, an t-Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna, an Teachta Ruairi Quinn. Gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis an Teachta as an cheist a ardú mar go dtugann se deis dom an scéal mar atá se faoi láthair a shoiléiriú maidir leis an iarratas athmhaoiniú mór caipitil do Scoil Bhaile Nua, Maigh Cuilinn.

Mar is eol don Teachta, chuir údaras na scoile iarratas faoi bhráid ar mhaoiniú mór caipitil do shíneadhle haghaidh nuachóiriú agus oibreacha athchóirithe.

Mar chuid den phróiséas measúnaithe, sanntar rátáil banda do thionscadal faoi chritéir fhoilsithe tosaíochta i gcómhair tionscadal togála ar scála mór. Ceaptar na critéir seo tar éis dul i gcómhairle leis na comhpháirtithe oideachais.

Gluaiseann tionscadal togála tríd an gcóras ar cóimhéid leis an rátáil banda a sannadh dó. Tá ceithre rátálacha banda ann ar fad, agus is é banda a haon an ceann is áirde agus is é banda a ceathar an ceann is ísle. Sannadh rátáil banda de 2.5 don tionscadal do Scoil Bhaile Nua.

As the Deputy is aware, my Department is forecasting an increase of over 45,050 primary pupils and 24,900 post-primary pupils by the start of the 2017-18 school year. In order to meet the needs of our growing population of school going children, we will have to establish 40 new schools, as well as extending a number of existing schools. The estimated capital cost of the establishment of the new schools is in the region of €380 million and the programme of delivery will include some PPP projects. There will also be additional school extension projects which will be needed to cater for the growing school going population. It is that context that the progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered and its progression is contingent on the availability of funding within the Department's multi-annual school building and modernisation programme and the competing demands for this funding.

Subsequent to the receipt of the major capital application referred to above, the school applied in March 2010 for one additional mainstream classroom. The Department approved a grant for this classroom in the amount of €100,000 and the school has drawn down 100% of the grant as the extension is complete. In addition, an ICT grant of €5,000 for the new classroom was also approved and the funding has been drawn down by the school. Scoil Bhaile Nua is a four teacher school and enrolments are stable. In September 2010, the school authority applied for further significant funding to replace a temporary classroom, expand existing classrooms and provide ancillary accommodation including a general purpose room. The school authority was advised that it was not possible to facilitate the request at that time. With the approval of the additional classroom, the school's accommodation will consist of four mainstream classrooms and a further room to be used as a multi-purpose resource room.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Having listened to the Minister of State's response it is clear he did not listen to what I said. It is clear the Department of Education and Skills did not make even cursory inquiries because this is a devolved scheme and has nothing to do with the major capital projects. It does not matter how many schools will be built next year or in the following years, the issue is, as I pointed out, that only 71% of this year's budget has been spent despite the fact that three quarters of the year is over. If the Department continues to spend less than its budget, it will wind up with a surplus of €60 million that must be returned to the Department of Finance. That money will not be available for next year's projects, as we both know.

My suggestion is that we take advantage of the fact that the builders are on the site. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, when in Opposition stated clearly it was a disgrace that prefabs were in use in any school. My argument is that by sanctioning the money now for the works that the school proposes, the work could be done and paid for by Christmas. If that money is not spent by the end of the year it must return to the Department of Finance.

This has nothing to do with the list of schools seeking funding for major capital projects. That is irrelevant. Any person with good management skills in the Department would give the go-ahead for a small top-up grant when projects with planning permission and builders on site request permission to get on with the job. The information on the demographic profile of the school-going population and the need for major capital projects is irrelevant to the case I was making.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy raised the issue of an unspent capital budget in the Department as if it was a new revelation that had not been apparent to the Minister. The previous Government continued to accept this was normal practice over many years. In November 2010 it was established just over €50 million remained unspent in the schools building budget. It is a pity the former Minister did not try to access the money at that time for Scoil Bhaile Nua. The accommodation requirements in the Moycullen area, as referred to by the Deputy, have been studied and a close analysis has been done. It indicates there will be no requirement for any additional accommodation in the area in the short to medium term.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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There is no GP room in the school.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Despite what the Deputy said, the Department also considered that the school's existing accommodation, now that the extension is complete, is sufficient to meet its essential mainstream classroom and learning support needs.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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There is no GP room in the school.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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There are no GP rooms in many schools.