Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me, on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, with an opportunity to outline the position of the Department with regard to primary school places in the Tallaght area and the position of an application for funding from St. Mark's junior school for additional accommodation.

At the end of last year the Department outlined its spending plans for primary and post-primary schools for 2006. With €500 million to be spent on school buildings, over 1,300 projects will be active in schools. This significant investment will allow the Department to continue to progress its major programme of school building and modernisation which includes improving equipment needed for new technologies and ICT.

St. Mark's junior school submitted an application to the Department of Education and Science for capital funding under the 2006 additional accommodation scheme. Following an examination of the application, a decision was taken not to approve funding for the accommodation requested because there is ample availability of vacant accommodation in schools within a reasonable distance of St. Mark's. The Department requires these to be fully used before it can consider providing extra accommodation in the area.

The Department's main responsibility is to ensure schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places. While this may result in pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice, the approach ensures the use of existing accommodation is maximised. The Department cannot justify unwarranted expenditure while vacant accommodation exists. It cannot justify the continued development of one school over and above others in the same area when all are funded by the State to provide a particular service between them.

The Department of Education and Science is aware of significant developments planned for the Tallaght area. The school planning section is liaising with South Dublin County Council regarding future school requirements. If the school wishes, it can submit an application for capital funding for permanent accommodation. This application would be considered in the context of a strategic overview of long-term requirements for the area. The Department will be factoring in the extent of long-term provision required to be provided by St. Mark's junior school as it reviews ongoing developments in the area.

I thank the Senator once again for raising the matter and affording the opportunity to explain why the application from St. Mark's junior school was refused. The long-term accommodation requirements of the school will be factored into future plans for the Tallaght area. The school was notified in March that its application would not be approved. No response has been received by the school planning section since then.