Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I thank the Senator for raising the matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects over the next five years and to clarify the current position of the application for major capital funding from Gaelscoil Philib Barun, Tramore, County Waterford, whose roll number is 19885B. The Senator may find it helpful if I set out the context within which decisions relating to meeting the accommodation needs of schools must be considered over the coming years. Total enrolment is expected to grow by some 70,000 students between now and 2018 - by over 45,000 at primary level and 25,000 at post-primary. Second-level enrolment is expected to continue to rise until at least 2024. In order to meet the needs of our growing population of schoolgoing children, the Department must establish new schools as well as extending or replacing a number of existing schools in areas where demographic growth has been identified. The delivery of these new schools, together with extension projects to meet future demand, will be the main focus of the Department's budget for the coming years.

The five year programme announced on 12 March will provide more than 100,000 permanent school places, of which more than 80,000 will be new school places. The remainder will be the replacement of temporary or unsatisfactory accommodation. The project for Gaelscoil Philib Barun is intended to provide a new eight-classroom replacement school plus teaching accommodation for three full-time special education teachers and appropriate ancillary accommodation including a general purpose room. The new building is to be provided on the 2.5 acre site where the school is currently located in temporary accommodation. The eventual removal of the prefabs will form part of the project.

The project is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. A tender exercise to appoint a design team was recently completed and the design team will shortly be authorised to proceed to develop the detailed design. The project will continue to progress through the design stages up to and including securing planning permission and the preparation of tender documents. In view of the need to ensure that every child has access to a school place, the delivery of major school projects to meet the demographic demands nationally will be the main focus for capital investment in schools in the coming years. The five-year programme is focused on meeting those demographic needs. In that context, it was not possible to advance all applications for capital funding concurrently.

All school building projects, including the project for the gaelscoil, will continue to be advanced incrementally over time within the context of the funding available. However, in light of current competing demands on the Department's capital budget, it is not possible at this time to give an indicative timeframe for the progression to tender and construction of the project.