Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)
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Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Haughey. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chathaoirleach as ucht deis a thabhairt dom an ábhar seo, a bhaineann le scoil náisiúnta i mo cheantar fhéin, a ardú ar an Athló. Tá thart ar 100 dalta ag freastal ar Scoil Chonaill Naofa i mBun Beag. Tá cúig múinteoir ranga sa scoil. Cé gur chuala an scoil le déanaí go gcaillfear múinteoir amháin i mbliana, beidh na húdaráis in ann socruithe eile a dhéanamh in éadan sin. Tá rang speisialta amháin sa scoil. Tá múinteoir tacaíochta agus feabhais amháin sa scoil. Tá an scoil lonnaithe i nGaeltacht Gaoth Dobhair, i gcroílár Ghaeltacht Dhún na nGall. Tógadh an scoil thart ar 50 bliain ó shin. I 1986, thóg tuismitheoirí na scoile dhá seomra breise in áit na prefabs. Faoi láthair, tá seomra na gcótaí sa scoil ag feidhmiú mar leabharlann, oifig an rúnaí, oifig an phríomhoide, ionad na gcruinnithe tuismitheoirí-múinteoirí agus seomra teagaisc teanga. Níl sé sin inghlactha. Tá múinteoirí, daltaí, foireann agus bord bainistíochta na scoile ag lorg go gcuirfí síneadh leis an scoil.

On 25 April 2006, the then Minister for Education and Science gave approval to the school board of management to allow the project proceed to tender and construction for six full-size classrooms and ancillary accommodation. However, this has not materialised. The school applied for new mechanical and electrical services in 1997 but was advised by the Department of Education and Science that it would be better value for money to apply for a rebuild or extension. Planning permission has been obtained for the project, costings have been done and it is waiting for approval from the Department to proceed to tender and construction even though initial approval had been given in 2006.

The board of management met with the Minister for Education and Science on 17 December last and discussed the urgency of this project and outlined the options for work and a number of cost saving measures for the Department and taxpayer. For example the board of management outlined that by choosing, while the school was under construction, to move from the proposed alternative accommodation to other accommodation in the parish, a saving of €320,000 could be obtained. If this project does not go ahead this year, approximately €250,000 would have to be spent on the mechanical and electrical services to make them safe. The total is over €500,000.

The alternative proposal would make the school safe. An engineer's report by Mr. Paul A. Roarty, an electrical contractor, has outlined a number of shortcomings. The electrics are more than 50 years old, the circuit board is completely out of date and there is no proper tripping protection, earth rod or earthing system. The socket circuits are overloaded and not protected from mechanical damage in places and the list goes on. That information has been sent to the Department of Education and Science and was highlighted in the meeting with the Minister just before Christmas.

In addition to the cost saving of €320,000 on rent for alternative accommodation during construction and €250,000 on emergency works if the project proceeds this year, there could be a cost saving due to the economic situation. Anecdotally, the engineer the school has employed has advised there may be a saving of approximately €300,000. This brings the overall saving to approximately €850,000 and a net cost of approximately €1.2 million for the project.

This evening I seek an update. I raised this issue on 8 October and on a number of occasions with the Minister. I am glad the Minister met with the board of management on 17 December but we need to take this project over the line. The pupils, teachers and parish of Gweedore are waiting for this approval. The project is ready to go. There is a cost saving associated with it and in the current climate we should take that cost saving and provide the approval for this project in 2009.

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, 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 as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and the position in relation to Scoil Chonaill Naofa, Bunbeg, County Donegal.

Modernising facilities in our existing building stock, as well as the need to respond 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 to ensure that the appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum.

All applications for capital funding are assessed in the modernisation and policy unit of my 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, of which band one is the highest and band four the lowest. Band one projects, for example, include the provision of buildings where none currently exist, but there is a high demand for pupil places, while band four projects include provision of desirable, but not necessarily urgent or essential, facilities such as a library or new sports hall.

The brief for the extension-refurbishment project at Scoil Chonaill Naofa, Bunbeg is to provide accommodation for a long term projected staffing of a principal and four mainstream class teachers plus ancillary staff. The project, which has been assigned a band rating of 2.1, is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, and planning permission has been received. Deputy Batt O'Keeffe met with a deputation from Scoil Chonaill, Bunbeg in December 2008. A new cost-saving proposal for the decanting of pupils for the duration of the project was presented at the meeting and was welcomed by the Minister. However, given the competing demands on the Department's capital budget, it is not possible 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 my Department's capital budget. The project for Scoil Chonaill Naofa will continue to be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual school building and modernisation programme.

The allocation for school buildings in 2009 is €656 million including the additional €75 million allocated under the recovery plan announced recently by the Taoiseach. This 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.

I thank the Senator again for giving me the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the current position regarding the school building projects for Scoil Chonaill Naofa, Bunbeg.

Michael McCarthy (Labour)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach for accepting this important matter for my area on the Adjournment and I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey.

Kinsale community school was born out of the amalgamation of the Convent of Mercy and the vocational school. It was sanctioned as a new school by the rainbow Government of which my party was a strong participant, with Niamh Bhreathnach, the former Minister for Education, making that decision. At the time one would not have predicted that we would be back here so soon looking for an extension to the school.

Kinsale community school is an important education provider because it is the only second level school in the wider Kinsale area. The alternative for families with students in that area would be Cork city and that does not make any great travel or economic sense.

The enrolment, as of September last, was almost 700 pupils and information available to me suggests it would be nearer 750 in September 2009. The school has a dedicated team of staff, teachers and parents and a dedicated board of management. The principal, Sr. Mary, has been looking for this extension for a long number of years because it is necessary and urgent.

This school is no different to many others in the greater south Cork or west Cork areas in that it is paying almost €20,000 a year for prefabricated buildings. Like many locally, I believe the situation has reached crisis point. I say that because the board of management is considering taking the following radical steps: limiting the choice of practical subjects from September next and limiting the enrolment from September of next year. The board has no choice but to seriously consider those two options. Not alone will that affect the educational curriculum available to students, it also spells out quite clearly the pressure that people in that school are under.

The decision to limit the subject choice and enrolment will have considerable ramifications on the local community. The provision of that large extension is urgently needed. I attended a public meeting organised by the board of management and the parents in the school on 6 October last with a colleague, Councillor Tomás O'Brien, a former mayor of Kinsale, and I witnessed at first hand the pressure people were under and I heard parents speak of the real urgency.

When one sees pupils and parents and one hears that at first hand, it revisits for us the importance of investing in education and providing that extension. I say that for two reasons, apart from the obvious. We need to invest in education now more than ever. We need to ensure that students in the Kinsale area have a decent educational infrastructure available so Kinsale community school can provide the education that is needed with a decent physical building. That is imperative.

Second, surely it makes sense that the Government would stop spending money on prefabs and instead divert that money into building the extensions that are needed, not just in Kinsale — I would throw Clonakilty community college into that mix as well. We are wasting money every year on renting prefabricated buildings without providing the much needed capital to build those extensions.

As I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, will be aware, Kinsale community school boasts three winners of the Young Scientist award. The most recent winners were John O'Callaghan and Liam McCarthy and a number years ago Aisling Judge was a winner. That, in itself, is indicative of the standard of education in the local school and, indeed, the opportunities presented to its pupils.

I appeal to the Minister to provide urgently the funding needed to build the extension for Kinsale community school. It is needed for the present generation of students and will be needed in the future to ensure the people of Kinsale have a decent second-level school available to them.

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. I thank Senator McCarthy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the strategy for capital investment in education projects and also to outline the current position on Kinsale community school in particular.

Modernising facilities in the existing building stock, as well as the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth, is a significant challenge and is one of the priorities of the Minister for Education and Science. This Government has dramatically increased investment in the school building programme to €656 million this year. This is an unprecedented level of capital investment which reflects the commitment of the Government to continue its programme of sustained investment in primary and post primary schools. It will underpin a particular emphasis on the delivery of additional school places in rapidly developing areas while continuing to develop on the Government's commitment to delivering improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary accommodation throughout the country. It will also enable the purchase of sites to facilitate the smooth delivery of the school building programme, again with the focus being on site requirements in rapidly developing areas.

All applications for capital funding are assessed in the modernisation and policy unit of my 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 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 makes provision of desirable, but not necessarily urgent or essential, facilities such as a library or new sports hall.

On Kinsale community school, the brief for this extension-refurbishment project is to provide accommodation for a long term projected enrolment of 850 pupils. The project, which has been assigned a band rating of 2.1, is currently awaiting the appointment of a design team. 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. However, as the Senator will understand, it is not possible to progress all projects to construction at the same time. This project will continue to be considered in the context of the Department's multi-annual school building and modernisation programme. However, in light of current demands on the capital budget of the Department, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the further progression of the project at this time.

The allocation for school buildings in 2009 of €656 million 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 this Government to investing in school infrastructure and will permit the continuation of progress in the overall improvement of school accommodation.

I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the current position regarding the school building project for Kinsale community school.