Mary Wallace (Meath East, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator for raising the important matter of a second level school in Kinvara as it provides an opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and the current position regarding the provision of a new second level school in Kinvara, County Galway.

Modernising facilities in our building stock and the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth is a significant challenge and one which the Minister intends will be among his priorities. The Government has dramatically increased investment in the school building programme to almost €581.3 million this year. Almost €4.5 billion will be invested in schools during the lifetime of the national development plan. This is an unprecedented level of capital investment which reflects the commitment of the Government to continue its programme of sustained investment in primary and post-primary schools.

This programme will underpin a particular emphasis on the delivery of additional school places in rapidly developing areas, while continuing to develop on the Government's commitment to delivering improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary accommodation throughout the country.

The position regarding the provision of a new second level school in the northern environs of the area referred to is as follows. As Senator Cannon indicated, the Commission on School Accommodation conducted a survey of school accommodation in the area to determine the location of the proposed post-primary school and identify other locations where additional school places may be required over the next five to ten years. The commission, as the Senator noted, published its report in January 2008. It recommended that a co-educational post-primary school for circa 800 students should be provided in the northern environs of the area in question.

When a new school has been approved a number of procedures and processes must be undertaken and these can take some time to complete. The main stages are as follows: the identification and acquisition of a suitable site; design of the building; application for and granting of planning permission; invitation to seek tenders; and construction. The further progression of the proposed project, including the acquisition of a site, for the school will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to the Department for school buildings generally. In light of many competing demands on the capital budget of the Department, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of the project at this time.

Senator Cannon expressed concerns arising from the proposed closure of Seamount College, Kinvara. With this proposal in mind, in November 2008 officials from the Department met the trustees of the college to discuss the provision of a new school. Arising from these discussions the Department wrote to the trustees requesting their views on the possibility of extending the deadline for the school closure until a timeframe for developing a new school can be determined in light of the current economic climate and-or on whether the trustees would consider the possibility of leasing the buildings to the Department for the operation of a school. The Minister has been advised that this request is being considered by the trustees.

The Minister conveys his thanks to the Senator for affording him the opportunity to outline to the House the current position regarding the provision of a new second level school in Kinvara, County Galway.