Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator for providing me with the opportunity to outline the Government's strategy for capital investment in school infrastructure and to outline the current position in regard to the four schools in question. The Senator will appreciate that the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, has to manage the Department of Education and Science's capital budget in a responsible manner and, in so doing, must ensure that funding is targeted at schools most in need. This is why the Department introduced prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects which were formulated following consultation with the education partners.

Thousands of building projects were carried out under the last national development plan to provide new and modernised educational infrastructure and thousands more will be carried out under the current national development plan. However, there must be an order as to how this happens and a realisation that not all building projects can proceed together.

The extent of the demand on the capital budget is enormous, providing, as it does, accommodation for new communities together with accommodation for the unprecedented number of extra teachers which the Government has put into the system. We also have to modernise much of the existing stock as a result of historical under-investment. This will not all be achieved overnight but we have made huge inroads and we will continue to build on our success under the last national development plan when we delivered 7,800 building projects. However, as I have said, this must be done in an orderly and planned manner and on the basis of the most pressing need.

As part of the assessment of all applications for capital funding by the planning and building unit of the Department, each project is assigned a band rating under published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects. Projects are selected for inclusion in the school building and modernisation programme on the basis of priority of need which is reflected in the band rating assigned to a project.

To address the projects of particular concern to the Senator, the first school, Scoil Náisiúnta Gort a Choirce, has a priority band rating of 2.2 and requires a site acquisition for further progression. The Office of Public Works, which acts generally on behalf of the Department in regard to site acquisitions for schools, was requested to source a suitable site for the new school building. On foot of advertising a number of proposals were received and one of these was identified as the preferred option. The OPW entered negotiations with the vendor for the acquisition of this site but agreement could not be reached with the vendor on price and the OPW re-advertised. Following the necessary re-advertisement, a number of proposals were received including the previous preferred option. The OPW again deemed this site the most suitable and again entered into negotiations with the vendor for its acquisition and an agreement on price was eventually reached. The acquisition of the site for the school will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to the Department for school buildings generally.

With regard to the second school referred to, Creeslough national school, the Department has assessed the school's application and has determined that the long-term accommodation requirements for this school would be for a principal, eight mainstream assistants and ancillary staff. This application, which has a band-rating of 2.2, has not yet commenced architectural planning.

With regard to the third school referred to, Scoil Chonaill, Bunbeg, the design team on the project is currently working on stage 4-5 documentation and planning permission has been received. Clarification regarding the provision of temporary accommodation for the duration of the project was requested from the design team and its response is currently being examined by the Department's technical staff. The project has a band-rating of 2.1.

With regard to the fourth school referred to, Pobal Scoil Gaoth Dobhair, this project which involves the provision of a new PE hall is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. While it is not possible at this stage to be precise about when this project will go to construction because of higher competing priorities, and the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, refers in particular to the need to provide new schools in rapidly developing areas, the Minister can say that the project will be considered for progression on an ongoing basis as the school building and modernisation programme is rolled out.

All of the school building projects referred to by the Senator will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme for 2009 and beyond. Again, I thank the Senator for raising this matter and point out that over the lifetime of the national development plan, the Government is providing funding of €4.5 billion for school buildings. This will be the largest investment programme in schools in the history of the State and it will enable the Department to ensure school places are available where they are needed. This investment will allow the Department to continue the schools building programme which commenced during the lifetime of the last national development plan.