Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that, of the 23 new schools established under the patronage of Educate Together since 2000, only one has a permanent building; if she will address this problem for the children and staff of these schools; if she will also address for the future the issue of new schools having to open and spend many years in unsuitable temporary accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40163/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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School building projects are selected for inclusion in the School Building and Modernisation Programme on the basis of priority of need using published criteria.

A significant number of new multi-denominational schools are established in rapidly developing areas. All infrastructural projects in these areas, regardless of ethos, are assigned a band 1 priority status under the criteria.

Innovations in the delivery of school buildings such as Generic Repeat Designs and the use of the Design and Build model ensure that new school buildings are being delivered in these areas in the fastest time-frame possible.

This Government is delivering on its commitment to provide modern facilities in schools and has progressively increased funding in recent years with an aggregate total of over €2 billion alone between 2000 and 2005 and a commitment to invest a further €3b up to 2010. This is the largest investment programme in the history of the State.

The Department has never underestimated the scale of the task and the level of capital funding and other resources required to both rectify decades of under investment in school infrastructure and to meet newly emerging needs in the face of a huge expansion in our population base and the rapid expansion in teacher numbers. It has no desire to see any school in less than adequate accommodation and it will continue to tackle this issue in a structured and targeted fashion.