Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Browne for raising the issue of Bennekerry national school, Carlow. The Senator is right in saying that I do not make a single announcement each year, since that would be very unfair on all the schools in the country. There are 4,000 of them, and it would be wrong if they got an opportunity to make their case only once a year. Spreading the various announcements over the year gives schools a chance to advance their projects at different times. We are now spending approximately €500 million on capital funding. With 4,000 schools, it is obviously not easy to get them all done at the same time. However, everyone will acknowledge that with the investment that has gone in over the last few years, €500 million a year is not a small amount.

We are doing two things. First, we are trying to meet the needs of emerging populations, as the Senator has said and second, we are addressing a legacy of decades of under-investment in the area. One must consider that some of the schools can be 150 years old, and they must also be looked after. We are determined to continue to provide the best facilities for our schools.

The Senator referred to the announcement made in January and expressed his disappointment that the school was not included. I announced 54 primary schools and eight post-primary schools that would then appoint design teams, allowing them to start architectural planning for building and modernisation work on their schools. Bennekerry national school is already at the stage of architectural planning and therefore did not belong on that list, which was for new schools entering the building programme. Bennekerry is already in that programme, and it was not necessary to list it.

We intend the refurbishment of current accommodation and an extension to provide appropriate accommodation for the long-term projected staffing of a principal and nine mainstream teachers. It is already at the stage of architectural planning in the Department and included in the building programme and it will now advance. The submission is being considered in the building unit for the next stage, after which we will immediately get in touch with the school to allow it to progress.

We are not in the business of holding back schools in the building programme, since we are anxious to ensure that schools in every county get the facilities and modernisation that they deserve. I am sure that the Senator will accept our goodwill on this issue, since the school is already included in the building programme.