Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Cathaoirleach and Senators Keaveney and Wilson for their co-operation in the order of the Adjournment matters. I thank Senator Keaveney for raising this matter, as it provides me with an opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and the current position in respect of the specific difficulties and solutions for acquiring a site for Monreagh national school, Carrigans, County Donegal.

Modernising facilities in our building stock as well as the necessity to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth comprise a significant challenge which the Minister for Education and Science intends to be one of his priorities. Nonetheless, since taking office, the Government has shown a consistent determination to improve the condition of our school buildings and to ensure that the appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum. The Government has dramatically increased investment in the school building programme to almost €600 million this year.

Almost €4.5 billion will be invested in schools in the lifetime of the national development plan, an unprecedented level of capital investment that reflects the Government's commitment to continuing its programme of sustained investment in primary and post-primary schools. It will underpin a particular emphasis on the delivery of additional school places in rapidly developing areas while continuing to develop the Government's commitment to delivering improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary accommodation throughout the country. It will also enable the purchase of sites to facilitate the smooth delivery of the school building programme, with the focus being on site requirements in rapidly developing areas.

The Office of Public Works, OPW, which acts generally on behalf of my Department in the acquisition of sites for schools, was requested to source a suitable site in June 2001. The OPW advised my Department that, on foot of advertising, it had identified a number of sites. They were inspected by its regional architect and four were selected for further consideration. One of them was identified as the preferred option and, in November 2004, my Department instructed the OPW to open negotiations. The acquisition of this site was almost complete when, in September 2006, the OPW advised my Department that the vendor could not offer good marketable title to the property. Consequently, my Department instructed the OPW to readvertise. I do not have the exact details of why good marketable title was not on offer, but I can have more information provided to the Senator. The OPW has recently advised that there is a potential alternative proposal, which is currently under consideration by my Department in the context of its multi-annual school building and modernisation programme.

Projects are selected for inclusion in the school building and modernisation programme on the basis of priority of need. This is reflected in the band rating assigned to a project, which indicates the urgency, type and extent of work required at a school. The band rating system involves all applications for capital funding being assessed in the planning and building unit of my Department. The assessment process determines the extent and type of need presenting based on the demographics of an area, proposed housing developments, condition of buildings, site capacity, etc., leading to an appropriate accommodation solution. As part of this process, a project is assigned a band rating under published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects. These criteria were devised following consultation with the education partners.

I thank the Senator for affording me the opportunity to outline to the House the current position in respect of the specific difficulties and solutions for acquiring a site for Monreagh national school, Carrigans, County Donegal.