Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the position on an application to the Department of Education and Science from the school for large-scale capital funding.

This school has applied to the Department for an extension to the existing school building. The brief for this project is for an extension which will result in a school large enough to provide sufficient accommodation for a long-term projected staffing of a principal plus ten mainstream class teachers plus ancillary staff. The project was assigned a band rating of 1.1, which reflects the rapid population growth in this area of Galway. I have no doubt whatever of the value of the project when it is completed.

Due to competing demands on the capital budget of the Department, it has not been yet possible to progress this project through architectural planning and into construction. The Senator will understand that it is not possible to progress all projects at the same time as the resources must be in place to complete the project.

The school verbally contacted the Department in November 2008 to discuss the possibility of providing the four classroom extension via a devolved grant and the school was advised to submit a formal written proposal to the Department for consideration. The school, along with a number of other schools, met with the Minister in December 2008 and proposed that four additional mainstream classrooms and some refurbishment could be provided via a devolved grant of approximately €500,000 to €600,000. Officials from the Department will be in contact with the school authorities regarding their proposal.

All applications for capital funding are assessed in the planning and building unit of the Department against published prioritisation criteria, which were formulated following consultation with the education partners. The assessment process determines the extent and type of accommodation needed based on population growth, demographic trends, current and projected enrolments, recent and planned housing developments and the capacity of existing schools to meet the demand for pupil places. As part of this process, a project is assigned a band rating under the prioritisation criteria, which I have already mentioned. There are four band ratings in all, with band 1 being the highest and band 4 being the lowest. Band 1 projects, for example, include the provision of schools where none currently exists but where there is a high demand for pupils places while a band 4 project makes provision of desirable, but not necessarily urgent or essential facilities.

Projects are selected for inclusion in the school building and modernisation programme on the basis of priority of need, and this is reflected in the band rating assigned them. In other words, a building project moves through the system commensurate with the band rating assigned to it and as it is ready to proceed.

The Senator will be aware that, in February of this year, the Minister for Education and Science announced details of 43 major building projects to proceed to tender and construction and 25 high priority projects to commence architectural planning. The project for the school in question was not included in this announcement, therefore, it will not be proceeding in 2009. The project will, however, be considered for the Department's 2010 capital programme.

The Senator will appreciate that the extent of the demand on the Department's capital budget is enormous providing, as it does, accommodation for new communities, additional accommodation for the unprecedented number of extra teachers which the Government has put into the system and modernising existing schools. However, huge inroads have been made into addressing these needs and under the last national development plan alone, 7,800 school building projects were delivered.

As I said, the Senator will appreciate that it is not possible to advance all the projects needed at the same time. The Minister for Education and Science would like to assure the Senator, however, that all school building projects, including that for the school in question, will be advanced incrementally through the system over time and as funding is available. I thank the Senator for raising this matter and wish her progress in achieving finality in the matter.