Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

I am happy to respond on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, who unfortunately cannot be present. I thank Senator Ó Domhnaill for raising this matter and giving me an opportunity to outline to the Seanad the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and the current position in respect of Scoil Chonaill Naofa in Bunbeg, County Donegal. The modernisation of the facilities in our existing school building stock, like the need to respond to emerging education 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 appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum. All applications for capital funding are assessed in the planning and building unit of the Department of Education and Science. The assessment process determines the extent and type of need, based on the demographics of an area, proposed housing developments, condition of buildings and site capacity etc., and leads to the finding of an appropriate accommodation solution. As part of this process, each project is assigned a band rating under the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects, which were originally devised following consultation with the education partners before being revised and refined in 2004. Projects are selected for inclusion in the school building and modernisation programme on the basis of priority of need. This is reflected in the band rating that is assigned to a project. Each proposed building project moves through the system in a manner that is commensurate with the rating assigned to it. There are four band ratings, of which band 1 is the highest and band 4 the lowest. Band 1 projects include the provision of buildings where none exists but there is a high demand for pupil places. Band 4 projects make provision for desirable, but not necessarily urgent or essential facilities, such as libraries and new sports halls. The proposed building project for Scoil Chonaill Naofa has been assigned a band 2.1 rating.

All major projects on the Department of Education and Science capital programme progress through the same structured process of architectural planning, which is divided into clearly defined stages. The stages of architectural planning are set out in the Department's design team procedures and are necessary to comply with Department of Finance guidelines, which require that capital projects be fully designed prior to going to tender. They also ensure the proper cost management of capital projects and facilitate compliance with statutory and public procurement requirements. Five stages are involved in the progression of major school projects through architectural planning. The project at Scoil Chonaill Naofa is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The brief for this extension and refurbishment project is to provide accommodation for a long-term projected staffing of a principal, four mainstream teachers and ancillary staff. When the Minister met a deputation from Scoil Chonaill Naofa in Bunbeg, a new cost-saving proposal for decanting the pupils for the duration of the project was presented and was welcomed by the Minister. Last month, a letter issued to the chairperson of the board of management, requesting the design team to begin work on revising the stage 2b documentation for submission to the Department. These revisions are required to ensure that the contract is in line with the new Government construction contract committee forms of contract. The design team has since been in contact with the Department regarding the submission of stage 2b documentation. Members of the design team and a representative of the board of management will shortly be invited to attend a departmental briefing session, which will explain fully what is required in revising the tender documentation to take account of the requirements of the new forms of contract. I thank the Senator again for giving me an opportunity to outline to the Seanad the current position regarding the building project at Scoil Chonaill Naofa.