Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. I thank the Senator for raising the matter as I know this is something high on his list of priorities.

The Minister wants me to clarify that modernising facilities in our existing building stock, as well as responding 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 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. The completion in 2008 of 67 large-scale projects at primary level and 19 projects at post-primary level will benefit more than 18,000 students. Construction work on 150 devolved projects will provide an additional 8,000 permanent places in existing primary schools. The Senator will be aware that in September the Minister announced a further tranche of 24 large-scale projects to progress to tender and construction.

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 an enormous programme of work by any standards and while there will continue to be a focus on providing extra places in developing areas, the Department will also deliver improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary school accommodation. The emphasis, however, will continue to be on new schools and extensions to provide additionality in rapidly developing areas. The programme will also enable the purchase of sites to facilitate the smooth delivery of the school building programme, but again with the focus on site requirements in rapidly developing areas.

With regard to Finn Valley college, this is a mixed vocational school with an enrolment of 245 pupils as of 30 September 2007. The school authority submitted an application to the Department for large-scale capital funding for a new school. In this regard, it has been agreed that accommodation should be provided to cater for a long-term projected enrolment of 325 pupils. The proposed new school for Finn Valley college has been assigned a band rating of 2.2 in accordance with the Department's published criteria for prioritising large-scale capital projects.

The progress to construction of all large-scale building projects, including this project, depends on the funding available under the Department of Education and Science's capital budget. This project will be considered in the context of the Department's building programme for 2009. The Department was not in a position to allow the project to proceed in 2008 due to financial constraints. In addition, from February 2008, all publicly-funded capital works projects must use new forms of construction contracts. As a result, the project at Finn Valley College will have to be re-tendered when the Department is in a position to approve that.

The Minister is committed to the project for a new building at this school, funding permitting. Again, I thank the Senator for affording the Minister, through me, the opportunity to outline the current position to the House. I will bring the Senator's specific points to the attention of the Minister.