Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne. She is dealing with the matters in the names of Senators Ó Domhnaill and Swanick. We are waiting for Senator Ó Domhnaill.

Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)
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My sincere apologies, a Chathaoirligh.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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It is fine.

Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)
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I was caught behind a road traffic accident and I got delayed, unfortunately. There was an ambulance at the scene.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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If the Senator wants to draw his breath, the Minister of State can deal with Senator Swanick's matter first.

Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)
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I am okay to proceed.

Scoil Mhuire in Creeslough, County Donegal, has a pupil enrolment of 111 at the moment. That is due to increase in September of this year. A new school facility with new classrooms is required under the capital investment programme. Scoil Mhuire is one of the last remaining national schools in County Donegal that requires such investment. I have visited the school on a number of occasions and I have seen the facilities, which are antiquated, to say the least. They are cramped and are certainly not fit for purpose. There are health and safety issues at the school. There have been meetings of the board of management and the parents to discuss this matter. The only solution is a capital investment project within the confines of the school. The site is fine, but the conditions within the buildings are certainly not fit for purpose in the 21st century. The pupils at the school deserve better facilities.

I understand that the board of management of the school made an application to the Department of Education and Skills. However, the Department referred the matter back to the board of management and indicated that the application was premature. I understand that the board of management has since been in touch with officials in the Department again. I would be very interested to hear the thinking of the Department of Education and Skills on this project at this time and if an application would be considered favourably given the unique circumstances in the school and the fact that its enrolment is due to increase by approximately 10% in September 2018 for the new school year.In view of that increasing enrolment, a capital investment project is required. The answer provided to the board of management by the Department is that the enrolment figure is not increasing. However, that is not the case. The enrolment figures are due to increase by approximately 10% - from 111 to 121 or 122 - in September.

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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On behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton, I thank the Senator for raising this matter because it provides the opportunity to outline the current position on accommodation for Scoil Mhuire in Creeslough, County Donegal. The Senator will be aware that Scoil Mhuire is a co-educational national school that caters for pupils from junior infants to sixth class. The school has a current enrolment of 111 and a staffing complement of principal plus three main school teachers. In addition, the school has one special education support post. As the Senator may also be aware, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department of Education and Skills divides the country into 314 school planning areas. The Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post-primary level to determine where additional school accommodation is needed.

Scoil Mhuire is located in the Falcarragh school planning area, in which there are 13 primary schools in total. The demographic data for the Falcarragh school planning area, as with other school planning areas nationwide, is being kept under ongoing review by the Department, taking account of updated child benefit and enrolment data. In May 2017, the Department received an additional school accommodation application to provide a new mainstream classroom, a general purpose room, a library-computer room and ancillary accommodation. When assessing the application, it was noted that the existing school accommodation comprises four mainstream classrooms, two special education teaching rooms, a library-computer room, staff room and a general office. With a staffing complement of four mainstream teachers and one special education teacher, it was determined that there is currently no deficit of mainstream class accommodation. The Department acknowledges the request by the school for the provision of a GP room and other ancillary accommodation. The position, however, is that due to competing demands on the Department’s capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise available funding towards the provision of essential school classroom accommodation in areas of demographic growth or in cases where an additional teaching post is being approved, the school’s request cannot be prioritised at this time.

I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to outline the current position regarding accommodation at Scoil Mhuire.

Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for the response. It is what I was anticipating. Unfortunately, there appears to be a focus in the Department to prioritise to funding in urban growth centres. This means that small rural schools, where teachers and pupils are dealing with antiquated conditions, are not being prioritised. I do not think this is right. A percentage of the overall budget should be made available to schools such as Scoil Mhuire. Will the Minister of State inform the departmental officials that they should expect a new application from the board of management? Will she ask the Department to take into account the revised figures for the increased enrolment in that application? Those figures are due to rise in September.

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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I will bring the Senator's concerns, particularly those relating to the different in the figures, back to the Department. I will take a note of it. I will speak to the Minister and raise the matter with his officials. They might reply directly to the Senator.