Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 903: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the short, medium and long-term measures her Department is undertaking to deal with the schools accomodation crisis in the Dublin 15 area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15303/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am conscious that the Dublin 15 area as a whole is one of the most rapidly developing areas in the country and, as a result, there has been a marked increase in the demand for primary school places. My Department is taking a number of measures to increase the capacity of existing schools in the area concerned along with the development of new schools to meet this growing demand. All building projects arising from these interventions are awarded a band one priority rating under my Departments prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects to ensure that they are delivered as expeditiously as possible.

In the Littlepace-Castaheaney area a new school building has recently been completed at Mary Mother of Hope national school, with an additional project under way with a target delivery date of September 2007. In addition a new primary school campus is planned for a school site in Ongar which will have a minimum of 32 classrooms. Part of this project will provide a permanent accommodation solution for Castaheaney Educate Together national school which has agreed to increase its junior infant intake by one extra class grouping this year. This project also has a target completion date of September 2007.

This area is also served by the Sacred Heart national school Huntstown where an extension project to provide a 32-classroom school is nearing completion. In the Diswellstown area, St. Patrick's national school has recently moved into a new 24 classroom school. This will facilitate an annual three stream intake. However, as an exceptional matter the board of management has agreed to take a fourth stream of junior infants this year. In addition to this, the board of management of St. Mochta's national school, which has an intake of three junior infant classes, has agreed to enrol a fourth junior infant class for September 2006. An extension project to cater for this development will also attract a band one priority rating. Other developments in the Dublin 15 area include the planned expansion of St. Brigid's national school in Castleknock and extensions to St. Brigid's boys and girls national schools, Blanchardstown.

In addition, a new Educate Together school opened in Tyrellstown in September 2005. My Department has approved the provision of six additional classrooms for September 2006 to cater for new enrolments and special education teachers. It is anticipated that his school will enrol three junior infant classes. I am confident that the measures outlined will assist in alleviating the immediate demand for pupil places in the area. However, due to the current level of demand emanating from the Dublin 15 area, the need to provide even further school accommodation is under consideration and my Department is engaging with the key school patron authorities that are active in the area in this regard.