Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 794: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the funding allocated for school development purposes at primary and secondary level for each of the years from 1997 to date in 2007; the capital funds allocated; the funds her Department has earmarked for future school development at primary and secondary level in the Dublin 15 area; the locations and patrons of such proposed schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14954/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The National Development Plan 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 Department accelerated the school building programme with record levels of investment and the streamlining of delivery systems during the period 1997 to 2006. 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 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 over 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.

The annual investment in first and second level school buildings in the period 1997 to 2006 was as follows (millions):

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. The allocation for 2007 alone is over €540m and this funding will delivery over 1,500 building projects. With regard to educational infrastructural provision in the Dublin 15 area into the future, as the Deputy will be aware the recent Census preliminary figures confirm the Fingal area of Dublin as the fastest growing area in the country.

The Department is of the view that between primary and post primary level, some 20 new schools will be required there over the coming years. The challenge is to provide these schools in line with or ahead of demand for pupil places. Considerable interventions have already been made by the Department to increase pupil places and these interventions are being backed up by a significant construction programme. In this regard, phase two of the building project at Mary Mother of Hope N.S., Littlepace is ahead of schedule to open for September 2007. This will provide a new 16 classroom facility for the area. I would like to point out that this school will also have the benefit of enhanced shared community facilities under an arrangement with Fingal County Council.

In addition, plans are being advanced to provide a new school for Castaheany Educate Together and St. Benedict's National School on a site in Ongar. The development of this site will provide a total of 40 classrooms to cater for up 1,000 primary pupils. These schools will also benefit from enhanced shared community facilities.

Other developments in the Dublin 15 area at primary level include the planned expansion of St. Brigid's National School in Castleknock, and extensions to St. Brigid's Boys and Girls National Schools in Blanchardstown. Design teams have recently been appointed for both of these projects. The Board of Management of St. Mochta's National School, agreed to expand its school to enable a four stream intake from September 2006. The extension project for this school as well as one for St Patrick's Junior and Senior Schools, Corduff were also included on the recent list of schools for the appointment of design teams.

The Department has secured a site in Tyrrelstown to provide permanent accommodation for Tyrrelstown Educate Together NS. The Department is in discussion with the school in relation to its interim requirement pending the delivery of its new school building which it will be moving to delivery as quickly as possible. In the Hollywoodsrath area, the Department has requested a site reservation for primary education under the local authority's area development planning process. It is intended to deliver a new school there commensurate with the delivery of housing developments. Further site reservations will be requested by the Department as the local authority develops out further plans for the general area. These too will be acquired and developed in line with demand.

At post primary level, I have given the go-ahead for the delivery of a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school in Phibblestown, Dublin 15. This new school will be delivered along with new schools in Donabate and Laytown under a design and build contract that is aimed at delivering 3,000 school places for these rapidly developing areas. The inclusion of these three projects in one bundle will further facilitate the achievement of value for money. The Department is working with the relevant parties on the delivery of these projects within the earliest possible timeframe.

At post primary level in Castleknock, the need for an additional school is being examined. With regard to the general situation, the practice has emerged in recent years of parents enrolling their children in more than one school. This has the result of inflating the number of children apparently seeking places and creates a difficulty in determining the true number of places required. The Department will monitor the situation closely, as it did in 2006, and liaise with school principals in the area to ensure that all eligible pupils seeking places for 2007 will have access to them.