Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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44. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which the school building programme is adequate over the next three years to meet the accommodation requirements at primary and second level in view of the need to bring classes sizes into line with best practice and ensure the availability of adequate mainstream special needs places in sufficient numbers to meet the demand and avoid delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22415/18]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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How satisfied is the Minister about the adequacy of the mainstream school places, both primary and second level, and the special needs places, in keeping with best practice and in keeping with the requirements as set out by the various school authorities?

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The mid-term capital review made provision for increased investment in my Department’s school capital programme.

That programme has been delivering an average of 18,000 places per year in major projects and close to 8,000 per year in smaller scale additional accommodation. This building programme has allowed us meet the needs for extra places for an exceptional period of pupil growth, with close to an additional 100,000 pupils since 2011 at both primary and secondary levels. It has also allowed us to expand provision of special education units in mainstream schools from 548 to 1,304.

We have a very strong pipeline, with projects at various stages of development. This will include 85 major projects under construction or progressing to commence construction in 2018. I have also announced plans to establish 42 new schools over the longer period from 2019 to 2022.

As for its adequacy to meet growing needs, this programme has facilitated the employment of more than 6,000 extra teachers and 3,000 special needs assistants, SNAs, in a three-year period that has also seen two reductions in the primary pupil-teacher ratio.

My Department is satisfied that the €8.4 billion capital investment in the national development plan 2018 to 2027 is sufficient to deliver the necessary school infrastructure. This is a 70% increase on the €4.9 billion provided over the previous ten years.

This represents an opportunity over the next decade to make a very significant investment in our education infrastructure at primary, secondary and third level and further education. I am satisfied that the plans being set out will make a very significant mark and that education will be a key element in both social and economic progress in coming years.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge and compliment the Minister on the headlines and the objectives he has set out. Does he remain satisfied in respect of any unforeseen strain which might come on the system in its delivery, given the expansion that is taking place in some parts of the country in particular? Is he satisfied that he has sufficient resources available to meet any emergencies? To what extent does he expect the pupil-teacher ratio or class sizes or both to improve in the course of the next four to five years?

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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There is no doubt that meeting this level of population expansion has put a strain on other work. The Deputy knows that areas such as PE halls have not been possible in recent years. Other things that one would like to do that have had to take second place to ensuring that we have places for every student who needs them. We certainly meet emergency requirements within our budgets. Looking to the future, the plan that has been set out has very significant ambitions to upgrade PE facilities, science laboratories and digital equipment in the long term, as well as a deep refurbishment and refit of all schools over ten years of age. The ten-year capital plan looks at how we will upgrade the facilities to meet 21st century needs, whereas up to this we have been running hard just to make sure that we meet population demands.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To what extent will there be an overhaul of prefab structures that remain in some areas of the country, some which have long outlived their normal life span? Does the Minister foresee a situation where it might be more economical to provide permanent buildings rather than replace defunct and undesirable prefabricated structures?

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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We will start a systematic prefab replacement programme next year, in 2019. There has been a steady reduction over the longer period on the reliance on prefabs. However, at times, in order to meet the population pressures, we have had to resort to prefabs and there has been some increase in their use in recent years. From next year, the programme will allow the facility to replace them. We have built 200 new schools in recent years, which illustrates the scale. The quality of what we are putting in now is of a very high standard. We are managing the resource we get effectively in this area.