Dáil debates

Thursday, 22 October 2015

Topical Issue Debate

Schools Building Projects Status

4:45 pm

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I want to speak about the urgent need for new school building projects in Monasterevin, County Kildare. Everybody in the town knows that the primary schools and the secondary school in the town need new buildings because of the old, cramped conditions that prevail in both school locations at present. I have visited all the schools in Monasterevin on a few occasions. My first visit was in the presence of the then Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, and my party colleague, Deputy Ó Fearghaíl, who emphasised to the Minister the urgent need for these projects to be moved along. During those visits and on various subsequent occasions, I have met, spoken to and had a great deal of contact with the principals and staff members of the three schools in question. I thank the principals for their determination in pushing these important projects forward. If principals do not push these things, they can sometimes be left behind. The three principals in Monasterevin are working in a dedicated manner in the interests of the students in their schools. There is nothing in it for them; it is all about the children of the schools. It has to be acknowledged that the boards of management in all three schools are very supportive. Equally, the parents' council in each school is very much behind what the school authorities are doing.

There are two separate issues in Monasterevin. The development of St. Paul's secondary school, which has a large number of students, is a bit more advanced. That school is based on a very cramped site and its buildings are very poor. I would call many of the structures glorified prefabs. In this day and age, we should be long past having projects and schools like that in operation. That is why it is good that everyone has agreed to the Moore Abbey site. This site has already been provided and dealt with by the Department of Education and Skills. Kildare County Council is happy with it. Traffic issues will arise because the site is on a busy road in the centre of the town as one comes into Monasterevin from Athy via the Kildangan road. This project has been on the building programme prior to now, but it has not been moving very fast. Other school projects have moved much more quickly. It is important for this project to be given priority now. We really want to ensure permission is given for the project to proceed to construction in 2016. At this stage, the detailed designs have been completed. A report was submitted to the Department on 25 September and is currently under review. I have raised both of these issues in parliamentary questions in recent times. I ask the Department to clear the report immediately on the basis that there are no issues arising so that a planning application can be submitted; the fire safety certificate, the disabled access certification and the tender documents can be prepared; construction can start as early as possible in 2016; and the school can come fully into operation.

Everybody in the locality is aware that there are over 500 students in the two primary schools - a girls' school, Scoil Eimhín Naofa, and a boys' school, Scoil Náisiúnta Naomh Pheadar - in Monasterevin.

5 o’clock

The schools have done the right thing by agreeing to amalgamate. The principals, teaching staff, boards of management and parents should be rewarded for this by having the project relating to the new school fast-tracked. They intend to move onto the site of the current girls school where there is more space available. I ask that this project be included in the six-year construction plan that the Minister for Education and Skills is expected to announce in the coming days. It is essential that this project be included in that plan and that it be fast-tracked, with construction commencing in 2016.

4:55 pm

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter because it gives me the opportunity to remind the House of the significant challenges facing the Department in terms of meeting increasing demand for pupil places throughout the country in the coming years. It also presents me with the opportunity to clarify the position regarding the provision of school places in Monasterevin, County Kildare.

The Deputy will be aware that the country has experienced an unprecedented population increase in recent years. This demographic growth has posed a significant challenge regarding the provision of school places and that challenge is set to continue. The demographic projections show that enrolment at primary level will continue to increase substantially until at least 2019. Primary school enrolments, which stood at 509,652 in July 2011, are expected to increase to 570,000 by 2018, which equates to an increase in enrolments of over 64,000 since July 2011. Post-primary school enrolments, which stood at 317,432 in July 2011, are expected to increase to 385,000 by 2022, which equates to an increase in enrolments of some 68,000 since July 2011. The demand for additional school places in the post-primary sector will continue to increase until at least 2025, when enrolment figures are expected to reach in excess of 400,000.

In the context of school provision in Monasterevin, the Deputy is aware that architectural planning has commenced for two major building projects that are intended to meet current and future demand at both primary and post-primary level. In the case of primary school provision, a new 24-classroom school will be constructed to host the amalgamation of Scoil Eimhinn Naofa and St. Peter's Boys' National School. The current position relating to the proposed building project is that the pre-stage 1 meeting was held with the school and its design team in November 2014 and the Department requested that they address a number of points as part of the stage 1 report. Subsequently, an addendum to the stage 1 report was furnished to the Department by the board of management and design team on 18 August last and the project has now been authorised to progress to stage 2(a), which is the developed sketch design stage. Upon successful completion of stage 2(a) and subject to no issues arising, the project will be authorised to proceed to stage 2(b), the detailed design stage, which includes applications for planning permission, fire safety certification, disability access certification and the preparation of tender documents. While the project was not included in the current five-year construction programme, school building projects, including this project, are being progressed to the final planning stages and are available to be considered in the context of the new six-year construction plan which the Minister intends to announce in the coming weeks.

The position relating to post-primary provision in Monasterevin is that architectural planning is also advancing to provide a replacement school for St. Paul's secondary school. When complete, the school will not only cater for the current pupil cohort but will also provide for additional post-primary school places to meet future needs. Following the pre-stage 1 meeting in February 2015, this project was authorised to progress to stage 2(a), which is the developed sketch design stage. The stage 2(a) meeting was held in the Department last June and the school and its design team were requested to complete and submit the stage 2(a) report to the Department. This report was received in the Department on 25 September and is currently under review. Matters relating to services to and from the site remain under discussion between the design team and the local authority. Upon successful completion of stage 2(a) and subject to no issues arising, this project will then be authorised to proceed to stage 2(b), the detailed design stage, which includes applications for planning permission, fire safety certification, disability access certification and the preparation of tender documents. This project is included on the current five year construction programme announced in 2012 and is listed on the programme to proceed to tender and construction in 2015/16. To be clear, the money for that project is ring-fenced and has been set aside, as the Deputy is probably aware. It is important that the project progresses through all of the stages so that we can spend the money in 2016.

The Deputy will also be aware that significant capital funding will be invested in our education system through the Government's €27 billion capital programme announced on 29 September last. In the next six years, some €3.8 billion in direct funding will be invested in education projects. By comparison, the initial allocation under the previous five year capital programme was €2.2 billion. We are certainly making a lot of progress in terms of allocating resources to various projects. This means that there has been a significant increase in funding to match demand. This level of allocation allows the Department of Education and Skills to deliver some 19,000 additional permanent primary school places required by 2019 and 43,000 additional post primary school places required by 2022.

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for putting this up-to-date report on the record of the House. It corresponds substantially with the information I received in response to a parliamentary question I tabled on 13 October. I have been following this issue carefully and I raise it again today to try to ensure that the primary school project progresses to the next stage and is included in the next capital plan to be announced in the coming weeks. I know that there will be pressure from many schools in that regard. I will not even ask the Minister or Minister of State to visit the school in question because the case for a new building is well made and proves itself. Indeed, the need for both projects to proceed as quickly as possible is undeniable.

I wish to provide the Minister of State with additional information regarding the boys school. Such is the level of enrolment at the school that an extra classroom was approved based on the numbers at 30 September 2014. The school has made a planning application for that classroom. While we know this is only a temporary arrangement, the classroom must be provided before the new amalgamated school building is provided. The school is awaiting permission from Kildare County Council to commence the building works. It is waiting for the fire certificate to be approved and the disability access certificate to be granted by the local authority. It cannot issue a commencement notice until this documentation is provided but it is not expected before 15 November, which is awful. This will delay the construction of the new classroom which pupils should be in by now. The principal wrote to me and said that a class of 31 six and seven year olds is currently housed in the school library on foot of what the school believed would be a very short-term arrangement. The school believed that the classroom would be in place by now. The library stock of books and other resources had to be put into storage. This is not an acceptable situation but it illustrates perfectly the growing pressure on the school.

Another issue arises with regard to the proposed new school. I stood on Drogheda Street outside the girls school and the traffic situation there is unacceptable. There is very little space for cars to pull in, which makes dropping children to school very difficult. It is very important that a proper traffic management plan be included in the planning application in the interests of the children and those who are dropping them off.

I urge the Minister of State to push both of these projects on in the context of new construction programme that will be announced shortly.

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy knows, the money for the second level school is ring fenced. That project is included in the current five year plan so there is no reason why it cannot progress to construction next year. The proposed amalgamated school is progressing through all of the stages and that project is in a strong position for inclusion in the forthcoming six-year plan to be announced in the coming weeks. That plan is evidence based and aims to provide additional accommodation for students in areas of need. The fact that enrolment in the schools in question has been increasing will help their case. Decisions will be made on the basis of research into future needs in various areas conducted over the last six to eight months by the relevant departmental unit.

Regarding the classroom that the school wishes to build this year, my Department does a lot to magic up the money to build schools but local planning decisions are the responsibility of local authorities. That issue is best left to the Deputy and his party's local councillors. The Department cannot solve that particular problem but the money is available for the classroom.