John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)

I respond on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science. I thank the Senator for raising the matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects, and also to outline the position on the provision of a PE Hall for Pobalscoil Gaoth Dobhair.

The Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, wishes to clarify that modernising facilities in existing building stock as well as the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth is a significant challenge. The Government has shown a consistent determination to improve the condition of school buildings and to ensure 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. This year's capital programme has seen the completion of 43 new primary schools and three new post-primary schools, 29 major primary school extension and refurbishment projects and 15 major post-primary extension and refurbishment projects are reaching completion.

The Senator will also be aware that in September the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, announced a further tranche of 25 large-scale projects to progress to tender and construction. These major projects, taken together, reflect the concentration by the Department of Education and Science this year on providing sufficient school places in developing areas, while also delivering improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary school accommodation throughout the country, and represent an unprecedented level of achievement. This year has also seen a particular emphasis on the delivery of additional school places in rapidly developing areas with the construction of 26 new schools under the fast track off-site construction programme.

This is a substantial programme of work by any standards and, while there will continue to be a focus on providing extra places in developing areas, the Department of Education and Science will also deliver improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary school accommodation throughout the country. However, the emphasis will continue to be on new schools and extensions to provide additional accommodation in rapidly developing areas.

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. With regard to sports in our schools, the PE curricula at both primary and post-primary level have been developed on the understanding that facilities available to schools vary. Consequently, they offer a level of flexibility that allows each school to tailor its programme to the facilities available. Within available resources and overall published criteria for prioritising projects, it is the policy of the Department of Education and Science to provide post primary schools with PE halls where no such facility exists. This is considered part of the design brief for new schools and for major renovation or extension projects. The number of schools with general purpose rooms and PE halls is increasing, while practically all schools have outside exercise space. In addition, many schools use adjacent local facilities, including public parks, playing fields and swimming pools.

This project, involving the provision of a new PE hall, is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The project has a band rating of 4.1. It is not possible at this stage to say precisely when this project will go to construction because of higher competing priorities. However, the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, wishes to highlight the special need to provide facilities for new schools in rapidly developing areas. He has indicated that the project will be considered for progression on an ongoing basis as the school building and modernisation programme is rolled out.

I thank the Senator once again for affording me the opportunity to outline to the House the position on the provision of a PE hall for Pobalscoil Gaoth Dobhair.