Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this extremely important matter. I am responding on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O’Sullivan, who cannot be here this morning. This opportunity allows me to remind the House of the significant challenges facing us in terms of meeting increasing demand for pupil places throughout the country in the coming years in addition to clarifying the position on the matters the Senator has raised.

The Senator will be aware that the country has experienced an unprecedented population increase in recent years. This demographic growth has posed a significant challenge for the provision of school places, and the challenge is set to continue.

The Senator will also be aware that over €2.2 billion in funding is being invested by the Department under its five-year school capital investment plan for the period 2012 to 2016. Over €1.5 billion of this is being allocated for the funding of major schools building projects. The balance is being used for the additional accommodation scheme, the prefab replacement initiative, the emergency works scheme and the acquisition of sites.

The primary focus of the plan is on meeting demographic demands to ensure every child will have access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to cope with increasing pupil numbers. The Department continues to review the most up-to-date demographic information to ensure any emerging school accommodation shortfalls are identified and met in a timely manner. In this regard, the Department is currently carrying out a nationwide demographic exercise to determine where school places might be needed from 2017 onwards. On foot of this review, arrangements will be made to provide additional accommodation where this is needed.

Total pupil enrolment in both primary and post-primary schools is expected to grow by around 108,000 additional pupils between 2012 and 2019. This is over 70,000 at primary level and almost 38,000 at post-primary level. The continuous feeding of the significant expansion of primary school pupils from primary to post-primary level will see a shift of pressure for school places to that sector up until 2026, at least. Between 2011 and 2016, some 53 new primary and post-primary schools will have been established to cater for the substantial and continuing demographic surge that commenced in the last decade.

In tandem with this, however, the Department has been able to accord priority to the provision of capital funding to schools for other purposes which I will now outline. Under the Department's prefab replacement initiatives for 2012 and 2013, approval was given to 217 schools - 209 primary and eight post-primary - nationwide to replace 614 prefab units with permanent accommodation. That was welcomed by teachers and the whole school community. In excess of €57 million has been allocated for these initiatives, of which €46.5 million has been paid to date. Of the 217 projects approved, 168 projects have been completed and a further 14 projects are on site. In addition to the prefab replacement initiatives and as part of the Department's large-scale schools building programme, prefab accommodation continues to be replaced with permanent structures on an ongoing basis. This is to be welcomed very much. It is open to schools to submit applications for funding under the Department's additional accommodation scheme to meet an immediate accommodation requirement because of increased enrolments and where an additional teacher is being appointed.

Another important investment is the summer works scheme. The Senator will be aware of the announcement in March 2014 of almost €72 million for school improvements under the first round of the summer works scheme for 2014. Earlier this year, the Minister announced a further €36 million investment in the final part of the scheme, representing a total allocation of almost €108 million in the 2014-15 period. The purpose of the summer works scheme is to devolve funding to individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works that can be carried out mainly during the summer months. Furthermore, the payment of the minor works grant for the period 2014 to 2015 of €28 million last December facilitates primary schools in prioritising capital works they wish to undertake to the structure and site. For the first time last December, the issue of the minor works grant was extended to primary schools with provisional recognition.