Seanad debates

Wednesday, 7 October 2015

Commencement Matters

Schools Building Projects Status

10:30 am

Photo of Brian Ó DomhnaillBrian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)
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This motion relates to Scoil Mhuire in Stranorlar. I accept that the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan, does not have responsibility for education matters and that it is unfortunate that the Minister for Education and Skills is not present, but I also accept that she may have other commitments. Nonetheless, I want to outline the difficult and serious situation at Scoil Mhuire in Stranorlar where there are 452 pupils enrolled for the 2015-16 school year. The principal, Mr. Keating, and his staff have been doing a tremendous job under the most extreme of difficult circumstances. The pupils are in a school which is not fit for purpose in this day and age. Education is so important to the future of young people that the facilities in which they are educated also play an important and fundamental role in how they are educated.

The increased pupil numbers in the school have been provided for the Department of Education and Skills. In the school year 2014-15 there were 57 new pupils in junior infants. This year the number has increased to 70. Of the 452 pupils in the school, 170 are being taught in prefabricated buildings. That is unacceptable in this day and age. I have visited the school on several occasions, as have many of my Oireachtas colleagues from County Donegal who have been raising the issue in the other House. It is urgent. Only four of the 12 permanent classrooms in the school have a toilet or running water. That is not acceptable. This is one of the largest primary schools in County Donegal. There are other issues relating to traffic and health and safety, particularly when there is traffic in the morning and the evening. The entrance to the school is located within the grounds of a church car park. At busy times such as funerals, weddings and when people are attending mass, it is very difficult to access the school. This creates major dangers for the kids from junior infants to sixth class.

I know that the Government is contemplating a new school capital building programme. It is imperative that this project be put on the shelf and included in that programme. The school is at stage 2a, draft report stage. A site has been identified and Donegal County Council has granted planning permission for a site adjacent to the new state-of-the-art Finn Valley sports complex. It is ideal from the point of view of child welfare, safety, education and the provision of extra-curricular activities in the Finn Valley sports complex.

The project was going to be put out to tender before the Minister’s predecessor, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, took office. Unfortunately, it was moved out of the capital building programme, but it needs to be put back in forthwith. It is shovel-ready in every sense of the word. All that is required is ministerial and political approval to allow it to proceed. Politics should not come into it because this is a child welfare and educational development issue. I hope that, on the grounds of the merits I have outlined and the board of management has provided for the Department, the project will see the light of day and be allowed to proceed to building and tender stage early in 2016.

Photo of Ann PhelanAnn Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter as it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the position on the major capital project at Scoil Mhuire in Stranorlar.

The Deputy will be aware of the demographic challenge facing the education system in the coming years. The Department's latest published projections for primary pupil enrolments indicate a increase in the order of some 29,000 pupils in the school year 2018-19 compared with current levels. In order to meet the needs of the growing population of schoolgoing children, the Department must establish new schools, as well as extend or replace several 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 in 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 over 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 and 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 its appointment and a replacement PSDP member of the design team was subsequently appointed. The school building project is at an early stage of architectural planning - stage 2a, developed design stage. A stage 2a stakeholder meeting involving officials from the Department and the school's the board of management and its design team will take place shortly. Following this, and subject to no issues arising, the project will be authorised to progress to stage 2b, which is the detailed design stage and which includes the making of applications for fire certificates and disability access certificates and the preparation of tender documents. Planning permission has been secured, as the Senator pointed out.

School building projects, including the project for Scoil Mhuire, which have not been included in the five-year construction programme, are being progressed to the final planning stages in anticipation of the possibility of further funds being available to the Department in future years. On behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, I again thank the Senator for the opportunity to outline the current position in regard to the major capital project for Scoil Mhuire, Stranorlar.

Photo of Brian Ó DomhnaillBrian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for a comprehensive and favourable response. I wish to raise one issue, which seems to emanate from departmental officials and, perhaps, the Minister, and that is the focus on providing schools in areas where demographics dictate - in other words, areas where growth is occurring. I am sure the Minister of State, who has responsibility for rural development, will be concerned about this. While expanding populations in our commuter belts must be dealt with, if schools in rural areas are not given the opportunity to develop, young families will migrate to areas where there are better schools. Unfortunately, that is the reality in Stranorlar and other rural areas where school building projects have not been given the go ahead and families decided to put their children in other schools. That is wrong and there needs to be a shift away from this approach.

I welcome the response regarding Stranorlar school and the fact that the project can proceed to stage 2b, which is the detailed design phase and involves the preparation of tender documents. That is important and I ask the Minister of State to consider the demographics issue for smaller schools in rural areas in the context of her own brief. Perhaps she can link up with the Department of Education and Skills. She has a responsible and important role within government and I hope this Department and other Departments are listening to her input.

Photo of Ann PhelanAnn Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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I thank the Senator and I will take on board some of his comments. I am keeping a close eye on this issue. While accepting the current position, I draw his attention to the fact that while Stranorlar and other schools have not been included in the five-year construction plan, they are being progressed to the final planning stages in anticipation of the possibility of further funds being available. The Senator has raised an important issue in the context of my role as Minister of State with responsibility for rural economic development.

Sitting suspended at 10.55 a.m. and resumed at 11.30 a.m.