Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. St. Aidan's comprehensive school in Cootehill was one of the first three comprehensive schools built by the Government in 1966. It is the flagship school for the comprehensive philosophy of education in providing an education for all in the local community whatever their background. It is the only post-primary school in an area classified as disadvantaged yet the school itself does not enjoy the benefits of disadvantaged status.

The school draws students from 18 feeder schools in a large rural hinterland. The current enrolment is in excess of 510 and it employs a staff, including full-time and part-time, of 45 teachers and ten ancillary staff. In 2008 the school was rated joint second in the county with regard to numbers entering third level education. It is a well-run school with an excellent teaching staff, principal and deputy principal. It has the confidence of the local community.

An application for a refurbishment and extension project was made by the school management in 1998. Some 11 years later, despite frequent efforts to move this project forward, no progress has been made. In 2006, the board of management was sufficiently concerned about the state of the school buildings that it commissioned a health and safety audit of the school building. The resulting 2007 report identified a number of areas of major concern. The first was the roof. The number of significant leaks are a constant health and safety risk from falls and electrical wiring short-circuiting. A roofing consultant's report recommended that the roof be replaced. Continuous leaks have led to the growth of mould in a number of areas and this is a major health and safety concern.

The heating system consists of a 17 year old boiler with no backup and radiators that no longer work properly and cannot be vented. The system has failed on occasions, necessitating the sending home of students. The original pipework is gun barrel and has been completely corroded in places. Repair of underfloor leaks have only resulted in fresh leaks in other sections of the system. A heating consultant has recommended that a new heating system be installed. Many of the rooms are now heated by stand alone oil filled electrical radiators. The building does not meet current standards for insulation because of its age and suffers from significant heat loss as a result. The building is over 40 years old.

The school was originally designed with large windows on every side of the building. These windows are all single glazed and have non-toughened glass. This has been identified as a health and safety hazard throughout the school. The loss of heat from this single glazing and poorly fitted windows is enormous with a direct impact on increased running costs on the already stretched school budget.

The PE hall does not meet the Department of Education and Science size requirements at a time when the Department of Education and Science is introducing PE as an examination subject and significant attention is focussed on trying to encourage young people to live a healthy, active lifestyle. Practical rooms for woodwork and engineering do not meet the Department of Education and Science guidelines on size and storage space.

Minor repairs have been dealt with, within the constraints of the school budget and with the support of the parents' association. An ageing building with no significant refurbishment of the basic fabric continues to incur significant repair and maintenance costs, putting pressure on the school budget and taking away from the provision of other materials and services for the children. The recent financial cutbacks in the budget will result in even less moneys being available for the upkeep of the building.

The school is firmly rooted in the community and is a resource for local people who use this school for a variety of activities including adult education classes, FÁS training programmes, English language classes, training of sports teams and coaching courses etc. Abbot Ireland, a significant employer in the area, has stressed the need for well educated young people with skills in science and technology in particular. The company is very supportive of St. Aidan's refurbishment and extension project as it has benefitted from the high standard of education provided by the school at all levels of the organisation. The fabric of this building has deteriorated and due to its age there is major concern with regard to health and safety and non-compliance with the Department of Education and Science guidelines.

Our young people are our future, they deserve an environment that is healthy and safe in which to learn. This refurbishment and extension project is now 11 years overdue. Work was done on science laboratories in 2007 and on metalwork and woodwork rooms and the flat roof, as was done on all schools nationally. A consultant's report has since stated that the entire roof needs replacement. This is a serious crisis for an excellent school and community. The building is out of date in a modern context. I appeal to the Minister of State to take this matter seriously.

Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
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I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. I thank the Senator for raising this matter. It is clear from his presentation that issues must be addressed. He has provided me with the opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and the current position of St. Aidan's comprehensive school, Cootehill.

Modernising facilities in our existing building stock, as well as responding to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth, is a significant challenge. The Government has shown a consistent determination to improve the condition of our school buildings and ensure that the appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum. The emphasis, however, will continue to be on new schools and extensions to provide additionality in rapidly developing areas.

All applications for capital funding are assessed in the planning and building unit of the Department. The assessment process determines the extent and type of need presenting based on the demographics of an area, proposed housing developments, condition of buildings, site capacity etc. leading ultimately to an appropriate accommodation solution. As part of this process, a project is assigned a band rating under published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects. These criteria were devised following consultation with the education partners.

Projects are selected for inclusion in the school building and modernisation programme on the basis of priority of need. This is reflected in the band rating assigned to a project, in other words, a proposed building project moves through the system commensurate with the band rating assigned to it. There are four band ratings overall, of which band one is the highest and band four is the lowest. Band one projects, for example, include the provision of buildings where none currently exists, but there is a high demand for pupil places, while a band four project provides for desirable, but not necessarily urgent or essential, facilities, such as a library or a new sports hall.

With regard to St. Aidan's comprehensive school, the brief for this extension and refurbishment project is to provide accommodation for a long-term projected enrolment of 650 pupils. The project, which has been assigned a band rating of 2.4, is in early architectural planning. The Department's technical staff have visited the school to determine the appropriate schedule of accommodation. However, given the competing demands on the Department's capital budget, it is not possible at this stage to be precise about when this project will go to construction.

The progression of all large-scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction, is dependent on the prioritisation of competing demands on the funding available under the Department's capital budget. The project for St Aidan's will be considered in the context of the Department's multi-annual school building and modernisation programme. In the meantime, staff in the Department are carrying out a detailed examination of the application from St. Aidan's with a view to approving funding to carry out very urgently required improvement works to the school building as soon as possible. These were outlined by the Senator. The Department will be in contact with the school as soon as this examination is completed.

The allocation for school buildings in 2009 is €581 million, which represents a significant investment in the school building and modernisation programme. This level of funding for the building programme, at a time of great pressure on public finances, is a sign of the real commitment of the Government to investing in school infrastructure and will permit the continuation of progress in the overall improvement of school accommodation. The Senator will also be aware that under the recovery plan announced recently by the Taoiseach, a further €75 million has been allocated to the schools building programme for 2009.

I thank the Senator again for giving me the opportunity to outline the current position regarding the school building project for St. Aidan's comprehensive school. I have visited schools in a similar condition, mainly in my constituency, and recognise only too well the conditions described by the Senator. Like him, I would like to see those short-term and longer-term problems addressed as soon as possible.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply and welcome the fact that the very urgently required improvement works to the school building will be done as soon as possible. The emergency works will need to be substantial and, having gone through the building, I know it is in bad condition. I would like a commitment to the entire project as soon as possible because the building is approximately 45 years old and the wear and tear of 500 or 600 students on an annual basis means it has suffered the effects of time and needs repair.

I welcome the specific commitment but I am still concerned that there is a level of generality about the other one. I will take the Minister of State's bona fides but I urge the Department to get in there and do a comprehensive job soon.

Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
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In response to the Senator's first point, as I understand it, the summer works scheme is back in action again this year, having been suspended last year, and it may be in a position to address some of the more immediate problems faced by the school.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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That would be in addition to the outlined commitment.