Seanad debates

Tuesday, 11 October 2005

7:00 pm

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Fine Gael)
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I wish to raise the difficulties at St. Eunan's secondary school in Letterkenny, an all-boys secondary school that used to be a boarding school. In particular, I am concerned that the school does not have enough space to accommodate its current enrolment of 800 students. The school's authorities are experiencing major problems in facilitating its teachers and students within the existing school building. I would like the Minister for Education and Science to outline the timeframe within which the school's extension will be completed and to clarify the stage to which the project has progressed. The proactive and hard-working teachers and parents who are involved in the school's new board of management structure want to know where the proposed school extension stands. A meeting was arranged with the Minister, Deputy Hanafin, when such details were sought last February. The board of management was told to collate the school's enrolment figures and to give that information to the Minister. Although the board was very good and did its homework as it had been told to do, it recently found itself in limbo when it was told that the project had been returned to stage one.

I hope the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, will be the bearer of good news this evening. I hope he will tell me that the project is no longer at stage one, but has been progressed to a further stage. The Minister of State is normally the bearer of good news and I hope tonight will not be any different in that regard. I seek clarification about the current status of the proposed school extension. It is not good enough, from a health and safety perspective, that the school is having such difficulties in seeking to accommodate 800 students. I ask the Minister of State to clarify the progress that has been made in respect of the extension of the school building at St. Eunan's college. I would like him to make clear the stage to which the project has progressed. When will it progress to the next stage?

Photo of Brian Lenihan JnrBrian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Senator McHugh for raising this matter on the Adjournment of the House. I am not certain that I will convey to him the good news he is expecting, but I certainly have news for him. I am responding to the Senator on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, who wants me to outline the progress being made throughout the country under the schools building and modernisation programme. She has specifically asked me to speak about the current status of the building project at St. Eunan's college in Letterkenny, County Donegal. Perhaps it is not appropriate for me to ask a question on the Adjournment, but I would like to know whether Senator McHugh is a graduate of St. Eunan's college.

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Fine Gael)
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No. I went to a mixed convent school.

Photo of Brian Lenihan JnrBrian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has invested in the largest schools building and modernisation programme in the history of the State. The almost €500 million that it will spend on school buildings this year compares favourably to the €70 million spent on school buildings in the year when Senator McHugh's party left office. More than 1,200 schools will benefit as a result of the announcements by the Minister for Education and Science this year under the school buildings and modernisation programme. The works in question range from rewiring and new windows to entire new schools. Not only is the Government investing unprecedented amounts of money in school building and modernisation projects, but it is also accelerating the pace with which projects are delivered. The Government, by devolving more responsibility to schools under the small and rural schools initiative and the summer works scheme, is allowing schools to progress projects at a much faster pace than would be achieved if every small project were micro-managed at a central level. This system ensures that the staff of the Department of Education and Science are free to concentrate on moving large projects through the main building programme as quickly as possible.

Generic designs are being used to speed up the design process. Standard designs are used for certain types of school, such as four-teacher schools on greenfield sites, for example. The Minister recently announced a major programme of public private partnerships for schools. This is a further public procurement innovation being used by the Government to deliver top class new school buildings quickly. The modernisation of the facilities in all 3,200 primary and 750 post-primary schools is not an easy task, especially in light of the legacy of decades of under-investment in this area and the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of increasing population. The Government is determined to ensure that every child is educated in a suitable and comfortable environment. The substantial increase in funding for school building projects in recent years is a clear demonstration of its commitment to achieving this goal.

I wish to outline the current position in respect of St. Eunan's college in Letterkenny, County Donegal. A full design team has been appointed and the process of architectural design of the school's extension project is progressing. The planned extension, which consists of a total area of 1,450 sq. m., was initially designed to cater for a long-term projected enrolment of 750 pupils. The level of enrolment at the school has increased significantly in recent years, however, from 760 pupils in September 2000 to 810 pupils in 2004. In that light, and to ensure that the proposed capital investment will deliver accommodation appropriate to the school's future needs, the school planning section of the Department of Education and Science is reassessing the school's long-term projected enrolment. That process involves an examination of demographic and enrolment trends and the local authority's plans for residential development that could impact on enrolments at St. Eunan's college. The school authority will be consulted as part of this process, which will be completed as quickly as possible to allow the project to progress as planned. The current extension project is at an early stage of architectural planning and a stage one submission — site suitability and site survey with various design solutions — has been received by the Department of Education and Science. When a review of the submission has been completed and a final determination of the school's long-term enrolment status made, officials from the Department will make contact with the school authorities about progressing the project.

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State has spoken about demographics. It is important to note that Letterkenny, like Derry, has gateway status. Many commentators have said that Letterkenny will have city status at some future time. I do not think demography should be an issue at this stage. Letterkenny is a heaving town that has seen a great deal of development. Whether that development has been done in a planned fashion is a debate for another day. Letterkenny does not have any demographic problems which mean that the level of enrolment does not necessitate the proposed extension. The problem I have raised is that the school authorities and the board of management of St. Eunan's college are unable to facilitate the present student numbers, whatever about increased numbers.

I would like to conclude by mentioning some of the investment that has been made at the college. I read last weekend in a local newspaper, Donegal on Sunday, that one of the Deputies for Donegal North-East has welcomed the installation of heaters at St. Eunan's college. I will reserve my comments about the need for a Government party Member to issue a press release welcoming the purchase of heaters by a school. The real issue faced by St. Eunan's college is its need for an extension. I would like one of the Government Deputies representing County Donegal to submit a press release saying that the extension in question will be advanced from phase one to phase two as quickly as possible. They should not make any more silly press announcements welcoming heaters.

Photo of Frank FeighanFrank Feighan (Fine Gael)
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Hear, hear.

Photo of Brian Lenihan JnrBrian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am sure Senator McHugh will appreciate the importance of value for money in any Government project. A detailed exercise has been completed to ascertain the future enrolment trends at St. Eunan's college. The trends will inform the Minister's thoughts on the level of development to be sanctioned. The Minister has indicated that the school authorities will be consulted as part of this process, which will be completed as quickly as possible to allow the project to progress as planned.