Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 233: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the projects that were targeted in the last National Development Plan in County Wexford; the breakdown of each one completed or the stage that each project is at; the overspend envisaged and an explanation for each; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3140/07]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 234: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the investments outlined in the last National Development Plan in County Wexford; the plans and investments that have been completed, that are on-going or did not progress from planning stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3153/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 233 and 234 together.

The NDP 2000-2006 identified the need for major investment in educational infrastructure in new and refurbished buildings, new equipment and information technology to make education more relevant to the needs of a modern economy. The plan did not identify individual building projects to be addressed either on a local or county basis. It was a matter for my Department to prioritise projects objectively and ensure that funding was appropriately allocated in line with priority assessments. If the Deputy has specific projects in mind my Department can provide the relevant information.

My Department accelerated the school building programme with record levels of investment and the streamlining of delivery systems during the period of the last NDP. The 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 well over €2.6 billion invested in the period from 2000 to 2006 in upgrading existing school infrastructure and providing new school accommodation at both first and second-level.

This is the largest investment programme in the history of the State. It has delivered over 7,800 projects including 1300 in 2006 alone. In addition the investment covered site purchases; the annual minor works grant to all primary schools, dust/asbestos and radon remediation programmes, science and technology initiatives, contingency works and grants for the purchase of furniture and equipment including improving equipment needed for new technologies and ICT.

To put it in context in terms of pupil numbers, if we take new primary schools recently completed, under construction or approved to progress to construction, we are delivering over 15,000 new permanent pupil places, almost 70% of these in the Leinster area. This figure relates to new schools only and does not include an additional 8,750 school places being delivered under the permanent accommodation scheme.

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 delivered in the fastest time-frame possible. In recent years, my Department has also adopted a policy of devolving much greater authority to local school management boards to manage and deliver smaller building projects, thereby freeing my Department to concentrate on the larger scale projects.

My Department has never underestimated the scale of the task and the level of capital funding and other resources required to rectify decades of under investment in school infrastructure. However, the Government is delivering on its commitment to provide modern facilities in schools and will provide a further €4.8 billion for educational infrastructure over the period of the new National Development Plan 2007-2013.