Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)
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After the end of a very long day we very much appreciate that the Minister is present. I rise to inquire about the current situation in regard to Wilson's hospital school in Multyfarnham, County Westmeath. This school was mentioned last week when the Statute Law Revision Bill 2007 was debated. Many schools, particularly the ERASMUS trust schools, had asked that the legislation setting them up would not be removed from the Statute Book as, I understand, it would affect the trust under which they were set up.

Be that at it may, this school is one of great renown and tradition. It is a boarding and day school for boys and girls. Many years ago the management came to me with a request for a new building and they got the famous Preston Building. On that occasion it opened its doors to day pupils from the rural Multyfarnham area. Heretofore it was a boarding school for boys and girls. It is a very good school with a huge tradition behind it but with a modern curriculum. It is a well-run school. I know it well and am a great supporter of it. It provides a niche type of education where it is needed but it does so in a modern democratic way.

I urge that the decision to go ahead with the expansion programme be granted and I look forward to hearing what the Minister has to say.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for raising the matter of Wilson's hospital school, Multyfarnham, County Westmeath. The Senator will be aware that Mullingar has been identified as an area of rapid development and such areas get priority within the Department of Education and Science for our building programme. The building programmes this year comes to €540 million with €4.5 billion set out over the term of the national development plan. This year 1,500 schools building projects will be delivered.

The school planning section of the Department of Education and Science is looking at the future educational requirements of Mullingar and the wider area at primary and post primary level. Factors being considered include population growth, demographic trends, current and projected enrolments, recent and planned housing developments and the capacity of existing schools to meet the demand for places into the future. That examination will be completed shortly.

In regard to Wilson's hospital school an examination of the school's long-term projected enrolments is being carried out by staff in the school planning section of the Department. Once the long-term projected enrolment is established and agreed with the school the Department will draw up a schedule of overall accommodation for the proposed additional accommodation and it will then be possible to progress it further. It is important that the long-term projected enrolment is signed off with that school. I thank Senator O'Rourke for raising the matter.