Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)

This plan now equips the Department with a blueprint for educational development in an area that will continue to experience rapid change in the coming years. The N4-M4 plan recommends that:

[t]he old dormitory area in St Joseph's Secondary School should be refurbished ... to cater for up to 800 students. House building in the area should be subject to constant review. The proposed refurbishments should be contingent on the implementation of a strict enrolment policy to cater for students from the catchment area on a priority basis.

The school's management authority has made an application to the school planning section of the Department for extensive refurbishment works and for an extension to replace three prefabs, to provide canteen facilities, additional toilets for pupils and staff, a home economics kitchen, a science laboratory and ICT facilities.

The application has been assessed in accordance with the Department's criteria for prioritising large-scale projects and has been assigned a band rating of 2.3. An examination of the school's long-term projected enrolments is currently being carried out by officials in the school planning section of the Department.

Once the long-term projected enrolment is established and agreed with the school, the Department will draw up a schedule of overall accommodation outlining the extent of new build and refurbishment required at the school. The application will then be considered for progress in the context of the multiannual school building and modernisation programme.

I again thank Senator O'Rourke for affording me the opportunity to outline to the House the current position regarding the application for new accommodation for St. Joseph's secondary school, Rochfordbridge, County Westmeath.