Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Mansergh for raising this matter and providing me with an opportunity to respond on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science. In doing so I wish to outline her strategy for capital investment in education projects and to outline the position on capital funding for Clerihan National School, County Tipperary.

This year, over €300 million will be invested in large-scale building projects concentrated mainly in the provision of school accommodation in rapidly developing areas. This level of funding will facilitate construction work on over 150 large-scale projects which will deliver over 15,000 additional permanent places in new schools and the extension and modernisation of facilities in existing schools for over 45,000 pupils.

It will also enable the purchase of sites to facilitate the smooth delivery of the school building programme, again with the focus being on site requirements in rapidly developing areas. The balance will be used to fund the other elements of the school building programme such as the summer works scheme, the small schools scheme and the permanent accommodation scheme. In total over 1,500 school building projects will be delivered in 2007.

As Senator Mansergh said, Clerihan national school was built in 1996 as a new two classroom school. In 1998 the Department gave approval for a one-classroom extension and this was completed in 1999. The management authority of the school then made a further application in August 2000 requesting two additional classrooms, a general purpose room and appropriate ancillary accommodation for a five-classroom school. In 2002 the school accepted an all-in grant towards the cost of two permanent classrooms in lieu of prefabricated units.

The management authority of the school decided at this time to build a third classroom and ancillary accommodation, which was funded, as Senator Mansergh said, through the board of management and the parents association. At no time did the Department of Education and Science approve this accommodation and this is where the problem lies.

In 2006 the management authority of the school requested retrospective grant aid from the Department for the unsanctioned classroom. Funding for this room was not approved by the Department as it is considered that a request for retrospective funding, for which there is no provision in the capital budget, would militate against the published prioritisation criteria which were agreed with the education partners.

The management authority of the school has applied for two additional classrooms under the permanent accommodation scheme 2007. All applications under this scheme are being assessed and I understand that an announcement on this list of successful schools will be made shortly. The school's application for a general purpose room has also been assessed in accordance with published prioritisation criteria and has been assigned a band 4 rating. Progress on this application will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme from 2007 onwards.

I appreciate Senator Mansergh's strong views and assure him I will relate them to the Minister. The Senator has referred to the pragmatism, courage and enterprise of the board of management, parents association and the families with children at the school. He has given a balanced contribution and can see, I believe, the position of the school authorities and the department. I will advise the Minister of Senator Mansergh's request on review, reimbursement and the uniqueness of this school that began in 1996 with two classrooms. This matter is a microcosm of what is happening around the country and is indicative of a successful economy and population growth. Senator Mansergh can be assured that I will advise the Minister of his strong views at the first opportunity.