Dáil debates

Wednesday, 24 June 2015

Topical Issue Debate

School Accommodation

12:45 pm

Photo of Helen McEnteeHelen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for taking this debate. As he knows, and as the Acting Chairman pointed out, Dunboyne College of Further Education recently received independent status and an enrolment number. This time a number of months ago, the college, while operating as a post-leaving certificate college, was under the umbrella of St. Peter's secondary school in Dunboyne. This meant that staffing and budgets had to be shared. The college has been in temporary accommodation since it started ten years ago.

I take this opportunity to thank the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, and the Minister of State, Deputy English, who is my colleague in Meath West, for working with me, the college, departmental officials and the college advisory board on which I sit. The new independent status changes matters for the college and means a great deal for the people who work there and its students. It changes the direction in which the college is going, allowing it to become the college that it is capable of becoming.

While the college has many constraints, it has become the centre of excellence in the county and, indeed, the wider area. It serves a large catchment area of approximately 400,000 people. It integrates school leavers, mature students and non-national students. It has grown out of nothing with just a handful of courses a number of year ago into a college that has developed new programmes in conjunction with business, industry and third level needs. More than 90% of its graduates go on to receive third level offers, which is a fantastic record.

Until now, the college's main impediment was its status. The staffing, budgets and everything else had to be shared. While the college has just received its enrolment number, for which we are grateful, and the feeling among some is probably one of "go away and leave us alone for another while," the main problem that the college now faces is that it is not able to grow in numbers or in size. While this is mostly due to the post-leaving certificate allocation, it is also because its temporary accommodation is located in a business park. While the accommodation has served the college well up to this point, it comprises business units. Recently, the college had to give back space because its lease had ended. Obviously, the units went back to their owner to be leased out to somebody else. There is a fear that such could happen again and the college would have to downsize once more.

Funding for post-leaving certificate colleges comes through SOLAS, which is funded through the Department. SOLAS has stated that it does not have money for capital projects. After ten years, though, the college is now paying €100,000 in rent per year. Obviously, the rent did not start out at that amount, but it makes sense to invest now. We will or already have a demand for an educational training centre in the region, which comprises a catchment area of 400,000 people in Meath, north Dublin, Kildare and Offaly. As SOLAS is not just the new further education authority, but the new training authority, Dundalk is the nearest facility. As the Minister of State has mentioned, given the fact that his portfolio crosses the Departments of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and Education and Skills, it will not be a shortage of jobs that is likely to be the problem in a few years' time, but finding people who are sufficiently skilled and trained to fill those positions.

The Minister of State has been supportive of the college on its journey so far.

2 o’clock

I know he will continue to do that. I ask him to support this endeavour. A new building is needed not just for the county but also for the 400,000 people served by the college.

12:50 pm

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McEntee for raising this matter and giving me an opportunity to outline the current position regarding the application for a new building for Dunboyne College of Further Education, which is currently based at the business park in the town. As the Deputy is aware, Dunboyne College of Further Education was awarded stand-alone status by the Department in February 2015. It has been acknowledged that there was a long battle behind that. A great deal of good work was done by many people over the years to try to make sure that happened. I am glad that it has happened and that the great work which has been done at Dunboyne College of Further Education has been recognised. As Deputy McEntee has said, the college's catchment covers a massive area that is much bigger than County Meath. We are familiar with the great work that the college does and the presence it has. It is right and just that it has been given a chance to operate as a stand-alone college. I hope it can develop its numbers over time.

After the decision to award stand-alone status was made, the college was allocated a separate roll number for administrative purposes. This entitled the college to appoint a principal to the separately located post-leaving certificate college. This allowed the principal of St. Peter's College to concentrate on the second-level school. In making the application for stand-alone status, Louth and Meath Education and Training Board acknowledged the fiscal constraints which direct the Department's capital spending decisions in the context of any expectation that the application might have for capital investment by the Department. Subsequently, in granting stand-alone status last February, the Department advised the board that in view of the need to ensure every child has access to a physical school place, the main focus for capital investment in schools in the coming years will be the delivery of major and smaller school projects to meet demographic demands nationally. For that reason, according to the Department, it was not possible to give consideration for a dedicated new building for Dunboyne College of Further Education at that time.

Deputy McEntee outlined many of the reasons that a new building needs to be constructed. As a local Deputy, I share much of her understanding of the matter. It is a question of actually finding the capital budget. There is a great deal of pressure on the budget at primary and secondary levels. That is where much of the money will be concentrated in the near future. All applications for major capital funding, including Louth and Meath Education and Training Board's application for a dedicated new building for Dunboyne College of Further Education, must be assessed in the context of the competing demands on the Department's capital budget. The Deputy will be aware of the demographic challenge facing the education system. I will go through the numbers. Total pupil enrolments in primary and post-primary schools are expected to increase by approximately 107,000 between 2012 and 2019. This comprises an increase of over 70,000 at primary level and over 35,000 at post-primary level. It is projected that pupil numbers at post-primary level will continue to increase up to 2026 at least. That is as far as we can predict. The challenge for the Department is to ensure our school system at primary and post-primary levels is in a position to cater for increasing pupil numbers.

As the Deputy may be aware, the current five-year construction plan contains details of major projects, including new schools and extensions, that are planned to commence construction over the duration of the period of the plan. I hope there will be a new additional plan on that front as well. A nationwide demographic exercise is being carried out by the Department currently to identify the location and distribution of the additional projected pupil numbers and consequently the need for additional primary and post-primary accommodation in all our counties. The provision of this accommodation continues to be the Department's over-riding objective. That is where funds will be prioritised. Quite a high rent is being paid at Dunboyne College of Further Education. The security of having a place is also an issue. I am sure there is scope to look at other premises or come up with other initiatives using the same money. Maybe some other place could be rented. I think the current site is quite ideal and good. It is a question of having permanency. While we accept that this is an issue, we just do not have the capital budget at the moment. It is something that is well known in the Department. I hope that in the years to come, we will find some way to make it happen. As it stands, there is no capital money to assign to it.

Photo of Helen McEnteeHelen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I understand where we are coming from. We have just come through one of the toughest recessions this economy has ever seen. We have managed to turn things around. I understand we do not have the money to invest in all the projects we would like to invest in, or to undertake all the capital spending we would like to undertake. We need to look at the bigger picture. Obviously, we need to continue to invest wisely. Dunboyne College of Further Education is already catering for more students than it receives funding for. Over the past year and a half, I have got to know the staff at the college and the staff who have been loaned to it through St. Peter's College. The staff have done everything in their power to make sure as many students as possible are taken on, to refuse entry to as few students as possible, to expand their courses and to work with neighbouring colleges and businesses to suit the needs that are out there currently. I think they need to be rewarded for the work they have done. It is important that the post-leaving certificate allocation for the area is increased. Obviously, the space needs to be there to cater for that as well. I know the Minister of State will continue to work on this with me, my colleagues and the advisory board. I ask him to ensure it is not put on the back burner because it is too important.

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I can confirm that I will certainly be working on it. I am happy to work with the Deputy and all our colleagues on this important issue. I want to recognise the great work that is being done at the college, which is demonstrated by the progression rate of the students who go through the post-leaving certificate courses and into further and higher education or into jobs. I understand that the success rate is over 92%, which is very positive. We recognise the high level of demand on numbers. A national review of post-leaving certificate places is being carried out this year. I hope it will allay some of the concerns about the distribution of post-leaving certificate numbers around the country. I think the demand for places in County Meath is certainly higher than supply is at present. The capital end of it is close to my heart. I will certainly be watching for an opportunity. I assure the Deputy that the line Minister, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, and I will be banging the table to try to get more money into education and into capital expenditure. In the years ahead, as more money comes in as a result of our job creation successes, naturally we will have more money to spend. I hope that in the future, we will eventually be able to find some capital money for projects like this. Currently, the priority has to be to have enough accommodation for existing pupils coming into primary and secondary levels and thereafter.