Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator for raising the matter as it affords me an opportunity on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, to outline to the House the strategy of the Department for capital investment in education projects and also to outline the position regarding Ardpatrick national school.

Modernising facilities in our 3,200 primary and 750 post-primary schools is not an easy task given the legacy of decades of under-investment in this area as well as the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth. Nonetheless, since taking office the Government has shown a sincere determination to improve the condition of our school buildings and to ensure that the appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum. We have progressively increased funding for the school modernisation programme in recent years to achieve our goal, with an aggregate total of almost €2 billion allocated for this purpose since 1998, the largest investment programme in the history of the State.

Since the beginning of the year the Department of Education and Science has made a number of announcements on the schools building and modernisation programme. This year alone, €270 million will be allocated to primary schools and €223 million to post-primary schools for building works. This represents an increase of 14% on last year's allocation.

The schools building and modernisation programme for 2005 to 2009 will be underpinned not just by a significant increase in overall funding but also by major improvements in the administration of the funding. Devolving more funding to local level through the summer works scheme and the small and rural schools initiative will allow schools to move ahead more quickly with smaller projects while also delivering better value for money.

As part of the schools building and modernisation programme, over €62 million will be spent this summer. In all, 362 primary schools and 228 post-primary schools will benefit from the scheme to complete essential small scale projects over the summer months, such as gas, electrical and mechanical works, roof replacements and repairs, windows replacement, toilet upgrades, structural improvements and access works.

An application was received under the summer works scheme 2005 from the management authority of Ardpatrick national school for funding towards the extension of car parking facilities at the front of the school. The application fell under category 9 of the published prioritisation criteria for the scheme. Unfortunately, due to the level of demand for funding for higher priority projects, it was not possible to fund the project in question this year. To ensure maximum spread of available funding among the summer works scheme applicant schools, attention was focused on the top priority application for each school categorised under the published criteria. The available funding was then distributed in accordance with the criteria hierarchy as detailed in the circular letter governing the scheme. In the context of the available funding and the number of applications for that funding, not all applicants, including Ardpatrick national school, were successful this year.

The summer works scheme 2006 will be advertised shortly and it will be open to Ardpatrick national school to apply for consideration for this scheme. In the meantime, as the primary responsibility for health and safety issues relating to school buildings rests with the school managerial authorities, the grant scheme for minor works, the devolved grant, should be utilised as necessary to address basic maintenance issues. The level of grant paid under this scheme amounts to €3,809 per school plus €12.70 per pupil.

Once again I wish to thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to outline the position regarding this school project and to highlight the significant work being undertaken by the Department of Education and Science in implementing the school building and modernisation programme to ensure that infrastructure of the highest standard is available to all our school-going population.