Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator O'Meara for raising this matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline to the Seanad, on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, the strategy of her Department for capital investment in education projects and the position regarding the development of education provision in St. Sheelan's College, Templemore.

Modernising facilities in our 3,200 primary and 750 post-primary schools is not an easy task given the legacy of decades of underinvestment in this area and 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 ensure the appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum. As evidence of this commitment, 1,300 building and modernisation projects will be active in our primary and post-primary schools during 2006 and more than €490 million is being spent on these projects throughout the country.

St. Sheelan's College is a post-leaving certificate provider, which has not been a mainstream provider since 2003. Its withdrawal from mainstream provision followed an agreement with Our Lady's secondary school, Templemore, that it would become the single mainstream post-primary provider for the Templemore centre and PLC and adult education provision would be centred in St. Sheelan's College. The college has a current enrolment of 195 PLC pupils, a figure which has increased steadily over recent years.

Following an application for capital funding from Tipperary North Riding Vocational Educational Committee towards a refurbishment project at the school, the project was allowed to progress to the appointment of a design team. The Senator will be aware that the Minister for Education and Science made a number of announcements earlier this year on the school building programme for 2006. The Minister will make further announcements in this regard over the coming months and the building project for St. Sheelan's will be considered in this regard. The Senator will be pleased to learn that St. Sheelan's recently received funding of €64,000 under the 2005 summer works scheme for partial roof replacement.

Again, I thank Senator O'Meara for raising this matter which allows me to outline the position of the Department of Education and Science on the school building and modernisation programme.