Written answers

Tuesday, 28 March 2006

Department of Education and Science

School Accommodation

11:00 pm

Photo of Ned O'KeeffeNed O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 468: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the huge time constraints on schools in obtaining planning permission on time in order to have temporary accommodation put in place for the commencement of the school year in September 2006; her views on having the temporary accommodation grant scheme announced much earlier in the school year to give schools time to obtain planning permission, arrange contracts for the provision of such temporary accommodation, arrange the necessary site works, and have the accommodation put in place and fully available for use on time. [11907/06]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware of schools' needs to obtain planning permission in time to have their temporary accommodation in place for the commencement of the school year. To this end, I am taking measures to ensure as far as possible that the additional accommodation scheme for future programmes can be announced at the earliest possible opportunity in the school year. The demand for additional accommodation in schools has risen significantly in recent years mainly due to the rapid expansion in teacher numbers particularly in the area of special needs, the growth in the school-going population in rapidly developing areas and the demands to cater for diversity.

The current focus within my Department is to empower schools to resolve their accommodation needs, wherever possible by way of permanent accommodation. To reduce the amount of temporary accommodation at primary level. An initiative was launched in 2003. The purpose of this initiative is to allow primary schools to undertake a permanent solution to their classroom accommodation needs and to achieve the best value for money. The feedback from the 20 schools in that pilot initiative was very positive and the initiative was expanded considerably in subsequent years to the extent that 75 schools have been invited to participate in the 2006 scheme.

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