Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a chur in iúl do na Seanadóirí as ucht an cheist thábhachtach seo dá gceantar a ardú ar an Athló agus deis a thabhairt dom freagra a thabhairt thar ceann an Aire Oideachais agus Eolaíochta. I thank both Senators for raising this matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline to the House, on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, the strategy for capital investment in education projects and also the current position on proposed developments at post-primary level in Croom.

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 and also the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth. Nonetheless, since taking office, this Government has shown focused determination to improve the condition of school buildings and to ensure that appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum.

Under the National Development Plan, 2007 to 2013, launched some weeks ago, funding of €4.5 billion will be invested in first and second level schools modernisation and development programmes. This unprecedented level of investment will allow us to meet the needs of a growing school population, modernise existing school facilities and provide for curriculum reform and innovation.

A total of 7,800 individual schools building projects were delivered on foot of the €2.6 billion investment under the last national development plan. Building projects under the €4.5 billion investment in the new national development plan will benefit from recent innovations in delivery mechanisms that have allowed for fast-tracking of priority school developments. Schools are seeing that the activity under the new plan is already under way, with 1,500 school building projects due to be delivered in 2007.

On the specific matter in hand, Coláiste Chiaráin is the only post-primary school in Croom and it is a co-educational provider with a current enrolment of 554 mainstream pupils. It has 175 students attending post-leaving certificate courses. The school's accommodation comprises some permanent accommodation and an extensive number of prefabricated buildings, which were provided to the school over the years to address its growing enrolment.

County Limerick VEC has applied to the Department of Education and Science for funding towards the provision of a new school building for Coláiste Chiaráin. Given the restricted nature of the existing site of some six acres, the Department has given the necessary approval to County Limerick VEC to purchase a site to facilitate the development of a replacement school. The VEC has identified a suitable site for that purpose.

The Department of Education and Science is currently preparing the long-term projected enrolment on which the school's accommodation needs will be based and will shortly notify the VEC of same. When the long-term projected enrolment has been finalised and agreed with the school authorities, the Department will draw up schedules of accommodation for the new building. The building project will then be progressed in the context of the schools building and modernisation programme.

I thank the Senator for contributing to this important debate concerning the future of many young people in the catchment area of Croom. The Senators' raising this matter allowed the Minister to outline, through me, the progress being made under the schools building and modernisation programme and the position of Coláiste Chiaráin in Croom. I have listened attentively to both Senators, who have an intimate knowledge of the case in question. Reference was made to the many prefabricated buildings. I hope progress can be made when the details of the schedules of accommodation are available and the long-term enrolment is determined. There is no point in catering for the present; one must also cater for the future.