Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)
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I recently visited Ballylanders primary school and met the principal and other staff members. There was extreme disappointment that they were unsuccessful in their application for the grant for national schools under the small schools scheme 2007. Ballylanders is a fast-growing community which in recent times has seen a rapid expansion of staff in all three of its local factories. Part of the workforce includes foreign nationals, mainly Polish and Lithuanian workers. Construction is buoyant in the area, which has led to many service-led firms in the area.

Recent extra planning applications for 83 private houses and for the development of seven acres for a commercial and industrial enterprise park will give a new impetus to Ballylanders in the future. There is also an application for a 60-bedroom nursing home and 40 retirement homes. All these developments will lead to an expansion of the population and attract more non-nationals to the area.

The school has experienced an increased enrolment of 17% since 2005 and now has 75 pupils. The projected enrolment for 2007 is 87, which will entitle the school to an extra teacher appointment. Ballylanders national school is a three-classroom building constructed in 1893. Two of the classrooms have dry rot and it has very high ceilings. In 1998-99 an extension for indoor toilets and a staff room were added to the rear of the school. A corridor was taken off the middle classrooms to facilitate access to the toilet block, which has resulted in a smaller, misshaped classroom with three doors leading from it. Two open into other classrooms and the other into the new corridor. The parents are concerned that the classrooms constitute a health and safety hazard because school bags obstruct entrances and exits and they have expressed their concern to the board of management.

The school now has five non-national children on the roll and in January 2007 appointed a language teacher for one hour daily. This person works in a disused prefab, formerly an outdoor toilet block dating from pre-1980. The resource teacher, who is shared, works in the same prefab. The Department of Education and Science is leasing a portakabin and paying 95% of the cost to accommodate a school-based learning support teacher. Ballylanders is located at the side of a busy main road and it is essential that all pupils attending the outdoor classes be accompanied at all times.

The school has been designated as qualifying under the DEIS rural scheme. To help it overcome some of the disadvantages confronting it, it is vital the necessary accommodation be provided to carry out the principles of the revised curriculum effectively. The board of Ballylanders national school has applied to the Department of Education and Science for a permanent extension to the school, as any further portakabins would hinder the health and safety of the pupils, increase the workload of the staff and reduce the green area of the field.

I appeal to the Minister to consider the school's appeal favourably. It is imperative the Department grants approval for this much-needed extension. A development at the school will leave it well-positioned in the future to cater for the expanding number of pupils attending. Failure to proceed now will have serious implications for the future expansion of the school. I sincerely hope the Minister responds with good news.

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and to outline the position of the Department of Education and Science regarding the development of education provision in the school referred to by the Senator.

Modernising facilities in our 3,200 primary and 750 post-primary schools is not an easy task given the legacy of decades of underinvestment in this area as well as the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth. Nonetheless, since taking office, this Government has shown a focused determination to improve the condition of school buildings and to ensure the appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum.

As evidence of this commitment, in excess of €540 million will be spent on building and modernisation projects in the coming year on primary and post-primary schools. Since 1997, a total of €3 billion has been invested in school buildings and this has delivered more than 7,800 school building projects. The additional investment of more than €540 million will build on these achievements and will focus in particular on the provision of school accommodation in areas where the population is growing at a rapid rate. As further evidence of our commitment, national development plan funding of €4.5 billion will be invested in schools over the coming years.

I am sure the Senator will agree that this record level of investment is a positive testament to the high priority the Government attaches to ensuring school accommodation is of the highest standard possible. On top of this, to reduce red tape and allow projects to move more quickly, responsibility for smaller projects has been devolved to school level. Standard designs have also been developed for eight and 16-classroom schools to facilitate speedier delivery of projects and save on design fees. The design and build method is also used to expedite delivery where the use of standard designs is not possible. Taken together with the unprecedented level of funding available, these initiatives ensure building projects are delivered in the fastest timeframe possible.

Ballylanders national school, County Limerick, submitted an application under the small schools scheme in 2007. On 5 March 2007, the Department of Education and Science announced details of the schools to receive funding under this scheme. Owing to the volume of applications received in the Department it was not possible to allocate funding to all proposed projects and Ballylanders was not successful in this instance. However, the board of management of the school has made an appeal, which is under consideration in the Department. Once a decision on the appeal has been reached, officials from the Department will contact the school authorities. Once again, I thank the Senator for raising this matter which allows me to outline the progress being made under the school building and modernisation programme and the position regarding Ballylanders national school, County Limerick.

Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)
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I do not expect the Minister of State to know when the appeal will be heard but can he reassure me that the Department of Education and Science will notify me of a date?

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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I will ask the Department to do so and I am sure it will be in touch in June or July.

Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)
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I trust it will be in touch with me before 15 May or whatever is the date of the general election.