Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 513: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that Educate Together has over the past few years opened a significant number of new national schools despite a paltry level of State support; if, in this context, she will provide an additional €500,000 per annum to the organisation in order for it to meet its targets and if she will make a statement on the matter [30197/05]

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 514: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the financial support provided by the State to a non-governmental organisation Educate Together; if she will continue or increase such levels of support; and her views on whether its proposal that the development of multicultural education here should become an objective of the national development plan. [30274/05]

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 533: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will confirm that her Department has received a proposal from the board of Educate Together seeking additional funding to enable it to meet the escalating demand for its schools; if, in this context, she will ensure that an additional €500,000 per annum is made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30198/05]

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 538: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the financial support provided by the State to a non-governmental organisation, Educate Together; if she will continue or increase such levels of support; and her views on whether its proposal that the development of multicultural education here should become an objective of the national development plan. [30275/05]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 559: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that unless funding is found, Educate Together will be forced to let two of its five staff go; and if she will provide the €500,000 per annum required for it to carry on at current levels. [30564/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 513, 514, 533, 538 and 559 together.

The level of funding that my Department provides to Educate Together as a school management body is on a par with that provided to Foras Patrúnachta na Gaelscoileanna, the Church of Ireland Board of Education, the Islamic Board of Education and the National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education. However, following discussions with Educate Together my Department has provided additional funding to it in 2005 to meet the immediate issues of concern to that body. The matter of the future funding to be provided to the primary management bodies, including Educate Together, in 2006 will be considered as part of the normal Estimates process.

In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998, I, as Minister, am obliged to have regard to the need to reflect the diversity of educational services provided in the State. Applying this provision to the development of multi-denominational education, at primary level, my Department has supported the establishment of a significant number of new multi-denominational schools in recent years. Of the 24 new schools granted provisional recognition in the past three years alone, 12 are multi-denominational. At post-primary level, the requirement for multi-denominational education is met by the State sector through non-designated vocational education committee schools.

To underpin the establishment of new schools, my Department has made a number of changes in recent years which have assisted patron bodies in the provision of accommodation. One of these changes, which was strongly welcomed by the patron body for multi-denominational schools, was the abolition of the local contribution to the building costs for State-owned school buildings which had cost up to €63,000 per school. Other innovations include the development of the design and build model to provide permanent accommodation much more quickly — such as in the case of the new multi-denominational school in Griffeen Valley, Lucan, which was designed and built in less than 13 months.

Many multi-denominational primary schools are established in areas of rapidly expanding population growth. School building projects in these areas are assigned a band one rating under the published prioritisation criteria for large- scale building projects. This is the highest band rating possible which results in the delivery of permanent accommodation in the shortest timeframe achievable.

These measures are a strong indication of my Department's commitment to supporting an educational diversity agenda, including multi-denominational education provision. It will continue to do so as part of its own statutory obligations and in the context of the national development plan which is structured to support the development of all educational sectors regardless of ethos.