Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for providing me with an opportunity to raise this important education matter in my constituency. I also thank the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, for attending the House to respond.

Presentation secondary school in Miltown is one of three secondary schools in mid-Kerry. It draws students from a vast area stretching from Annascaul to Killarney and Glenbeigh to Firies but mainly from its own catchment area. It has a proud history dating back over half a century to 1958. The Presentation Order has a history in Milltown dating back to the 1800s. The current school site was acquired in 1976 and the new school built in 1981. The student population has grown enormously since. In a way, the school has become a victim of its own success, with its excellent reputation drawing more and more students every year. The school population is now 543, even though it was designed and built to cater for a cohort of 180 to 200 pupils. The population of Milltown will, undoubtedly, grow in the coming years, with nine new housing estates having been built in the village in the last decade. This will further increase the pressure on the school.

The school continues to turn out excellent young adults, many of whom have achieved highly in life during the years. This is a fair reflection of the school's excellent staff and dynamic ethos. Unfortunately, however, prefabricated temporary accommodation now comprises two thirds of the school buildings. Some of these units have been on site for over 20 years. On a recent visit to the school, I saw at first hand the cramped conditions in which staff and students had to operate. The older prefabs, in particular, are often cold, damp and stuffy. Four classrooms, located in a building across the busy R563 Killarney to Milltown road from the main school building, were originally built as a primary school in the 1930s. They are poorly insulated and hard to heat. As they are not sound-proof, it is hard for teachers and students to concentrate on their work while the activities of neighbouring classes can be heard. The main problem is that every hour up to 240 students must cross the R563 between classes. This is far from ideal in this day and age. Even though a pedestrian crossing links these classrooms with the main school building, a student was knocked down last year on her way to class.

A building adjacent to the school complex is also being used as a classroom owing to the shortage of space. This building was originally built in the 1800s when it was used as a Church of Ireland primary school. Unfortunately, it has not seen any major changes since. Therefore, one can imagine the conditions experienced there.

The school has no indoor physical education facilities, no changing area and no shower facilities. All PE activity must take place outside, regardless of weather conditions, and students must change in makeshift changing rooms. The lack of showers and proper sanitary conditions is unacceptable from a personal hygiene perspective. There is no general assembly hall, no canteen and no library, while there are very limited IT and toilet facilities for students and staff. There is also a shortage of administrative space.

The school has a proud history of inclusiveness and a high number of students with resource teaching hours. It also has a very high rate of student retention. By being non-selective in its admission policy, it caters for a wide range of students. In 2006 a greenfield site beside the existing school was acquired by the Presentation Sisters for a new school building which is badly needed, as continued departmental investment in temporary accommodation is not the long-term answer.

I call on the Minister of State and his departmental officials to prioritise this school for the provision of a new school building, given the large student population and the need for a new building to facilitate the delivery of a modern, responsive education service for young adults. While I understand the huge budgetary restraints affecting all Departments as a result of mismanagement by the previous Administration, I urge the Minister of State to make every effort to find the finance to allow this much needed school building project to proceed.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I thank the Deputy for raising it, as it provides me with an opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and to clarify the current position on the application for major capital funding from Presentation secondary school, Milltown, County Kerry.

As the Deputy is aware, the Department of Education and Skills is forecasting an increase of over 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 schoolgoing children, the delivery of new schools, together with extension projects, will be the main focus for capital investment in the coming years.

As the Deputy may know, the school in question applied for an extension in 1996. It was assessed and assigned a band 2.2 rating. As part of the assessment 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. A 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.

Owing to the restricted nature of the site, the condition of the existing building and a revised long-term projected enrolment of 600 pupils, a new building on a new site was recommended. The trustees acquired a 2 ha site to facilitate the larger building project. The Department received confirmation from the Presentation Sisters that they had acquired the site on 18 June 2010. It is in that context that the building project for Presentation secondary school was included in the list of projects announced on 24 January 2011 to commence architectural planning. Officials from my Department's planning and building unit have recently finalised the schedules of accommodation which have been issued to the school.

My Department will continue to liaise with the school authorities in the context of progressing the project to the next stage of the architectural planning process. In the meantime, the school applied for temporary accommodation for the introduction of transition year from 2009 and was sanctioned an all-in grant of €49,437 in July 2009 to build two additional rooms. The school also applied for temporary accommodation for a general classroom for September 2010. Its application was approved and a devolved grant of €70,000 sanctioned.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge the investment made in the school in the provision of temporary accommodation in recent years. Unfortunately, however, as I am sure the Minister of State will agree, the provision of temporary accommodation is not the long-term answer. The new school building should be built as soon as possible. While I appreciate the efforts being made to move the project to the next stage, we need to see an intensification of the process in order that the new school building will be given absolute priority. Any help the Minister or the Minister of State could give would be greatly appreciated. While the new school building is awaited, hundreds of students will pass through the existing school buildings in the next few years in unacceptable conditions. Students are getting wet while walking considerable distances between classrooms in the rain. This is not acceptable. I want to see this project being given absolute priority. I hope we will not have to wait years to hear good news. Therefore, I urge the Minister of State and the Minister to do everything in their power to ensure the project school is given absolute priority. I invite them to visit the school to see at first hand the conditions being experienced. They would be more than welcome.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The band 2.2 rating the school has been assigned indicates there is a substantial and significant accommodation deficit. While the condition of the existing accommodation is adequate, there is still a deficit in meeting the overall accommodation needs of the school. In difficult economic circumstances it is fortunate to be at an advanced stage in the process of architectural planning. I heard the Deputy's concerns and will undertake to pass them on directly to the Minister, Deputy Quinn, who has ultimate responsibility in this area. I will liaise with the Deputy regularly to update him on any progress on this matter.