Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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1. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason fewer additional school places in both primary and secondary schools are predicted to be provided in 2019 despite increased funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11266/19]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Although the capital budget for schools has increased by €83 million for 2019, which we welcome, the information provided by the Department of Education and Skills in the Revised Estimates for expenditure shows that, last year, with €83 million less, 18,900 school places were replaced or provided, whereas the Department is forecasting that 18,850 places will be replaced or provided this year. What this means in practice is that, for €83 million more, it gets less bang for its buck. The question seeks to find out the explanation for that.

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta fá choinne na ceiste. Caithfear a rá go mbeidh an infheistíocht chaipitil níos tábhachtaí. My Department’s capital allocation for the school sector in 2019 amounts to €622 million while the allocation last year amounted to €539.6 million. Overall targets for the delivery of school places set out in the Revised Book of Estimates 2019 are on a par with 2018. The breakdown between additional places and replacement places can vary from year to year, depending on the nature of projects and the particular priorities relating to demographics and refurbishment.

Construction activity in 2018 and 2019 will involve over 130 large-scale projects and approximately 280 smaller-scale projects under the additional accommodation scheme. These projects enable significant progress in delivering some 40,000 school places, including additional and replacement places, and the replacement of over 600 prefabs, which is a key element of our prefab replacement programme. There will be enhanced sports facilities through the construction and modernisation of 48 PE halls at post-primary level and 82 general purpose rooms at primary level. In addition, the enhancement and modernisation of PE facilities in schools also will facilitate community usage of these facilities. There will be delivery of over 200 modern science laboratories, which will support the delivery of the reformed science curricula and the roll-out of computer science as a leaving certificate subject.

In addition, under the summer works scheme my Department is funding a total of 307 school projects, with projected expenditure of €40 million in 2019. This will benefit schools as they upgrade windows, meet curricular requirements and make fabric improvement to buildings. A total of €117 million has been allocated to date under the current summer works scheme in respect of categories 1 to 9, which has resulted in the approval of 942 school projects.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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This issue comes about when we consider outputs for the money spent. We accept the Department of Education and Skills has got more money than in previous years but it has got less for its money. It is a complex area and there seem to be a number of drivers for such changes. Famously, there is the issue of land costs, for example, the €28 million paid for Harold's Cross dog track, the scale of schools being built, the areas in which they are being built - all of which relates to the value of land - the change in the nature of schools, the way in which schools are being built and construction inflation. There are also the costs that have been run up due to the Western Building Systems, WBS, scandal, on which I presume the Department has had to pay something, even though it has not yet achieved anything in court against WBS.

I raise this because it is up to us to ensure the Department is getting best value for money and that the money it is spending and the taxpayer is providing is achieving results. I am worried it is actually getting fewer school places this year. The Minister talked about 48 PE halls and 200 science labs but how many of them are not part of large-scale building works? When the Minister calls out the figures, the impression is given that this is 48 new PE halls or 200 science labs that people could somehow apply for. How many of them are stand-alone PE halls or are they all part of large-scale building projects, which would mean the Minister is double counting?

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy has answered the question with regard to why we are in a different position. To clarify, the cost of Harold's Cross is €23 million. I understand the point the Deputy is making, however, which is that this is indicative of the increasing cost of land, which puts pressures on the budget. We are also looking at the 2014 regulation which changed the specification and at the 2017 change with regard to NZEB - the nearly zero energy building standard - which is working towards more environmentally efficient buildings. I am very conscious that we have to get value for money from the taxpayers' point of view and, while there is construction inflation, that we do not just accept there will be increased costs and allow that to carry on. We build in a detailed design element to the schools and, by having a detailed element complete prior to tender, we get fixed-price contracts, which ensure the price and ensure that whoever wins these contracts sticks within that. It is a question of efficiency and value for money. We are still going to be delivering over 40,000 places from 2018 to 2019 and there are still many buildings under construction. However, I appreciate the Deputy's point in terms of being vigilant to ensure we get value for money.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I do not tend to criticise the Department's building unit that much, other than the fact it does not have enough money. Would it be worthwhile for the Minister to commission a short, focused review of school projects to ensure the State is getting best value for money? I do not know if any external person has looked at this issue such as, for example, the Comptroller and Auditor General. I presume, although I am not certain, that it would be within his remit. In my constituency, I think of schools like Lismullen national school, Dunboyne senior and junior national schools, St. Peter's, Dunboyne, and the new school proposed for Dunshaughlin.

A large number of projects need funding in order to be built. My worry is that there is not enough in the capital budget and the Minister has acknowledged that there is construction and land cost inflation, with more regulations also adding to the cost. As I am worried that these projects will be left on the back burner, I take the opportunity to remind the Minister of the crucial importance of such projects. There are similar projects throughout the country.

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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If there are external ways of ensuring we do things efficiently and get value for money, I am open to considering them. The National Development Finance Agency is doing great work and at the heart of these projects. Now that we have a ten-year capital budget and trajectory, we will work within that fixed budget. There are constraints and it keeps on the pressure to ensure we try as best as we possibly can to keep costs down. For example, we are looking at methods such as the Accelerated Delivery and Architectural Planning and Tendering programme, about which I will speak later. A project manager is brought in to do the job at a very early stage in order that we can be as efficient as possible. The most important factor is the quality of the product and the safety of the building when finished. A strong message coming from young people, within both the primary and secondary school sectors, is that there should be nothing less than environmentally friendly construction. They raise concerns about such matters as solar panels and achieving efficiencies. I am conscious that they have these concerns. The nearly zero energy building standard will ensure new and additional buildings will meet those concerns.