Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes, for coming in to take the Adjournment. This matter concerns one of the largest primary schools in County Donegal which has an enrolment of more than 440 children. The school was placed on the capital building programme prior to the 2011 general election but the then Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, for reasons probably best known to himself, removed the school from the capital building programme. While some progress has been made in the past 12 months in respect of getting a design team up and running, meetings between Department officials, the board of management and the architects appointed by the school, the danger is that if the project is not on the capital building programme all this work may be in vain.

The school was built in 1958 and an extension was built in 1974. It has only 12 permanent classrooms, only four of which have toilet facilities and running water. Approximately 40% of the children are being taught in prefabricated accommodation, including children with special needs. The playground is extremely dangerous because it doubles onto a carpark which is used by the adjoining parish centre and St. Mary's Church. There is major traffic congestion particularly in the mornings when a mass service takes place and in the evenings and also when weddings and funerals take place at the local church.

A new site has been identified. I raise the issue to ascertain from the Department whether the project can be placed on the capital building programme. While the Minister of State, who is a big Tipperary supporter and is getting ready for the weekend, is not responsible for this particular area I am not sure if he has good news to announce today. I hope the Department has given him a script that may shed some light on the issues raised.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan.

I thank the Senator for raising the matter as it provides me with the opportunity to clarify the current position in relation to the major capital project for Scoil Mhuire, Stranorlar.

The Senator will be aware of the demographic challenge facing the education system in the coming years. Primary enrolments, which have already risen substantially in recent years, are projected to rise by almost 37,000 pupils by 2016 and they are set to continue to rise, with a likely peak in 2019. In order to meet the needs of our growing population of school-going children, the Department must establish new schools as well as extending or replacing a number of existing schools in areas where demographic growth has been identified. The delivery of these new schools, together with extension projects to meet future demand, will be the main focus of the Department's budget for the coming years. Stranorlar has not been identified as an area of significant demographic growth. In 2014-15 there appears to be a slight spike in enrolment in the area. However, enrolment in the area is expected to gradually decline in the next few years.

Notwithstanding that Stranorlar has not been identified as an area of growth, a new site for the proposed new school was completed some time ago. A project brief was prepared and the project has been advanced into the architectural planning process.

The project at Scoil Mhuire B&C, Stranorlar, will consist of a new three-storey, 24 classroom school with ancillary accommodation on a greenfield site. The design team for this project was appointed in March 2014. The original project supervisor for the design process, PSDP, ceased trading shortly after their appointment and a replacement PSDP member of the design team has been subsequently appointed.

As conditional planning permission has already been granted by Donegal County Council for this project, the project has been authorised to advance directly to stage 2a, developed design. Once the Department has received confirmation that the design team is prepared for the stage 2a stakeholders meeting, arrangements will be made to hold this meeting.

School building projects, including the project for Scoil Mhuire, which have not been included in the five-year construction programme but which were announced for initial inclusion in the building programme, will be ready to be progressed to the final planning stages in anticipation of the possibility of further funding being available to the Department in future years. Pending the provision of a new school building, it is open to the school authorities to submit an application for additional accommodation should the current accommodation be insufficient to cater for increasing enrolments.

I thank the Senator again for giving me the opportunity to outline the current position in regard to the school and I hope that satisfies his needs.