Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I will respond to this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Coughlan.

I thank the Senator for raising this matter and giving me an opportunity to outline to the Seanad the position on the process for establishing new post-primary schools in general, with particular regard to the ongoing process of establishing a new post-primary school at Gorey, County Wexford. The proposed new school is due to commence operation in a temporary location from September 2011. In July this year the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills announced a significant reform of the recognition process for new second level schools. The new framework to be established will involve the setting out of clear criteria against which new second level school applications will be assessed. It will increase the transparency of decision making by establishing a small expert group to advise on second level patronage applications. The Tánaiste plans to establish this group shortly and seek its input prior to the finalisation of detailed criteria and procedures.

Regarding the two new schools to be established in the near future, the Tánaiste has announced that the new second level school in the Clonburris area of Lucan will be established as a VEC school, formally in partnership with Educate Together. Regarding the new second level school to be established in Gorey, the Tánaiste is advancing a process, whereby a decision on patronage will be made by the end of October or in early November. As the Senator said, two expressions of interest have been received from prospective patron bodies that want to manage the new school. The bodies in question are County Wexford VEC and Educate Together. The process under way involves a survey of the views of the parents of primary and pre-primary children in the Gorey area. In addition, the applications of the prospective patrons will be assessed against the criteria set out for the establishment of new post-primary schools. In making her decision on the patronage of the new school, the Tánaiste will consider the outcome of the survey with regard to the general criteria she set out in her recent announcement on the new framework.

As the Senator mentioned, officials from the Department recently held a public meeting in Gorey to outline the process being undertaken. The meeting included a question and answer session with the general public on the process. A range of issues were dealt with at the meeting, including the timing of the establishment of the new school and its proposed location. Representatives of the prospective patron bodies were given an opportunity to outline their proposals for the new school which will commence operation in a temporary location from September 2011 and enrol first year students only for the 2011-12 school year. It is proposed that the temporary school will be located adjacent to the site of the permanent school site in the Creagh area of Gorey. The Tánaiste wishes to acknowledge the assistance of the local authority in acquiring this site. The new school will be built as a public private partnership project. Accommodation will be provided to cater for an enrolment of up to 1,000 pupils. It is expected that the procurement, design and planning process will be completed in 2011 and a contract is expected to be awarded at the end of 2011. Construction will commence in early 2012 with a view to having the permanent accommodation ready for September 2013.

I again thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the position on the establishment of new post-primary schools generally and in particular the process under way to establish a new post-primary school in Gorey, County Wexford. I attended a VEC conference dealing with community education in Gorey last Friday and, as Members would expect, the chairman and chief executive officer of the VEC took the time to brief me informally from their perspective on their application. I appreciate the case made by the Senator and I have no doubt the Tánaiste will take into consideration all these views when she makes her decision.