Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am responding to this Adjournment debate on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I hope to clarify some issues for the Senator and I thank her for raising it as it provides me with the opportunity to clarify the current position of the application for alternative accommodation in respect of Kilcolgan Educate Together national school.

To ensure that every child has access to a physical school place, it is vital there is sufficient school accommodation available to cater for these pupil enrolments. The delivery of building projects to meet the increasing demographic demands will be the main focus for capital investment over the duration of the five-year plan, particularly in areas where it has been identified that most demographic growth will be concentrated.

In this regard, Kilcolgan has not been identified as an area of significant demographic growth. Pupil enrolment projections for Kilcolgan indicate that enrolments will remain relatively stable for the foreseeable future. Kilcolgan Educate Together national school is currently located in temporary accommodation on a confined site. The school authority submitted a proposal to the Department for the construction of a new school on the basis of a build and lease back arrangement on an alternative site. The proposal did not fulfil the required tendering procedure and was therefore rejected. However, the Department acknowledged that the school requires additional accommodation and in October 2012 approved, in principle, alternative temporary accommodation to provide classroom, special needs and administrative spaces on an alternative site.

The school authority was advised that, in line with standard public procurement procedures, a tendering process to cost this temporary accommodation was required. The school authority subsequently submitted an alternative proposal to the Department at the end of January 2013. The proposal raised a number of queries for the Department and it was considered that a meeting with school representatives should be arranged to discuss the matter. A meeting took place on 5 February and it was agreed that the school will provide further information and clarification on issues addressed at the meeting. This is to include a full outline of the scope and scale of works being sought and clarification on the consultant appointment process etc. Departmental officials advised the meeting that the Department and the schools it funds are bound by the Government's public procurement guidelines. Such guidelines require a competitive process to be carried out in an open, objective and transparent manner.

On receipt of the information and clarifications from the school, the Department will give the school's proposals its immediate consideration and convey its decision to the school authority. Again, I thank the Senator for allowing me the opportunity to outline the position. I think I have answered some of her questions, although perhaps not all of them.