Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this item. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, to the House. The proposal is that the Minister for Education and Science would sanction and indicate the resources she will make available for the extension to Mercy College, Woodford, County Galway. This school was built as a stand-alone school in the 1980s for 220 students. With an increase in the recent past of up to 30% in student enrolment at the school, it is now catering for 264 students and the number is rising rapidly. The intake in the next couple of years will reflect the increasing local population and will probably increase to close to 300 students. In addition, the school must cater for 23 students with a wide range of disabilities and special needs. Included in that are moderate and mild learning difficulties, cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, profound deafness and physical handicap.

The resources and facilities within the school do not do justice to the needs of students, particularly the 23 with special needs. Over the years the school has expanded the curriculum. For example, art is now taken to leaving certificate level, having begun in the past couple of years, and this necessitates additional space and resources. Likewise, woodwork is accommodated in a converted shed in the school premises. The size of the staff room, which caters for 25 teachers and special needs assistants, would have to be seen to be believed. In addition, PLC courses and all other courses for the surrounding community are provided in prefabs or previously vacated national school premises.

The board of management, school management and staff were told that the school would be included by March 2006 in the allocation for funding. It currently has band 2 rating, the essential stage, and it was hoped it would be included in the March allocation of 2006. However, to the dismay of management and staff, they were recently told the school should be included between 2007 and 2010. That set the alarm bells ringing with regard to what can be done to provide adequate accommodation for the school enrolment.

The school has developed from being a small, stand-alone school serving a wide rural population. It has grown in strength and its record of academic achievement for its students is second to none nationally. In light of the commitments given under the Disability Act 2005 and the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004, there is an onus on the Department of Education and Science to respond positively and to indicate to the board of management, school management and staff, as well as the parents, that there will be good news for them in the near future so they can plan for their future, rather than having to reduce the curriculum or shed students to surrounding schools. This would cause great difficulty for parents because they would then be faced with the need to avail of school transport.

It should not happen. The school should serve the catchment area for which it was intended. It cannot continue in its present accommodation due to the lack of space. I urge the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, to impress on the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, the urgency of this matter, particularly as the school provides for 23 special needs children with no extra facilities other than mainstream facilities, which is a credit to the management and staff, who are dealing with a very difficult situation and providing a good standard of education. The Minister of State should impress on the Minister that she should allow the project to proceed rapidly because it is required.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for raising the matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline to the House the strategy of the Department of Education and Science for capital investment in education projects and also to outline the position regarding the development of education provision in Mercy College secondary school, Woodford, County Galway. Modernising facilities in our 3,200 primary and 750 post-primary schools is not an easy task given the legacy of decades of under-investment in this area as well as the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth. Nonetheless, since taking office, the Government has shown its determination to improve the condition of our school buildings and to ensure that the appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum.

As evidence of this commitment, there will be approximately 1,300 building and modernisation projects active in our primary and post primary schools this year. Over €490 million is being spent on the primary and post primary projects throughout the country. I am sure the House will agree this record level of investment is a positive testament to the high priority the Government attaches to this sector.

The Mercy College secondary school, Woodford, is a co-educational post primary school with a current enrolment of 264 pupils. Enrolment has increased slightly in recent years, from 218 pupils in 2001 to 264 this year. The school authority has an application with the Department of Education and Science for an extension. The long-term projected enrolment, on which the school's long term accommodation needs will be based, has been agreed with the school at 225 pupils.

Schedules of accommodation for the proposed extension were drawn up some time ago, presumably before the school population increased. Officials in the Department of Education and Science are currently re-examining these schedules to ensure that the level of accommodation being proposed will meet the long-term needs of the school. When these are confirmed, progression of the project will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2006-10.

I thank the Senator for raising the matter and I will convey what he said to the Minister. It might well be that the long-term needs were agreed at 225 pupils a few years ago. The number of pupils in the school has increased and the long-term projection must be right before the project goes ahead.

Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)
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There was no mention of special needs in the reply and I ask the Minister of State to emphasise that.