Written answers

Wednesday, 20 February 2008

Department of Education and Science

Schools Building Projects

9:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 267: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when she expects to meet in full the building programme requirements as set out by the authorities of the various schools throughout the country with particular reference to meeting those needs arising from a burgeoning population; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7121/08]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The demand for additional accommodation in schools has risen significantly over the last number of 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, including the impact of immigration, and the demands to cater for diversity through the recognition of new Gaelscoileanna and Educate Together schools. Major progress has been made in meeting all of those needs.

We have dramatically increased investment in the school building programme in recent years. During the period of the last National Development Plan 2000-2006 my Department accelerated the school building programme with record levels of investment and the streamlining of delivery systems. An aggregate total of well over €2.6 billion was invested in upgrading existing school infrastructure and providing new school accommodation at both first and second-level. This programme delivered over 7,800 building projects.

The budget for 2007 was the first year of the rollout of the new NDP 2007-2013 which will involve an investment of over €4.5 billion, including almost €600 million this year, in school building infrastructure over the coming years to ensure that school places are available where needed. This investment will be the largest in the history of the State and will enable my Department to continue to take a proactive approach to the provision of modern school accommodation particularly in developing areas and the upgrade of existing accommodation.

A key priority of the programme in 2008 and subsequent years will be the delivery of additional capacity in the rapidly developing areas. I am conscious of the need to provide more school places in these areas quickly and these are being delivered. New schools have been built in rapidly developing areas and more are planned to accommodate continuing demographic changes. Many schools have had extensions built. Major refurbishments of schools have also been undertaken.

Not only are we investing far more in school buildings, but the improvements that have been made in the planning, design and delivery processes are also helping to deliver projects much faster. There is now much greater forward-planning, with close and regular engagement with local authorities, while a new partnership model has been developed to deliver community facilities in tandem with new schools and the publication of 10-year Area Development Plans.

In my most recent announcement on the 2008 large-scale building programme, I approved 48 projects to commence construction including 30 new primary schools in rapidly developing areas that are planned to be in place by next September under an accelerated building programme. It is also intended to provide additional accommodation at a number of schools under this programme.

My Department also has other projects coming on stream to the tendering and construction stages and I will be making further announcements about these as the 2008 school building programme is rolled out.

I assure the Deputy that through both increased investment under the NDP and the improved planning and delivery processes that we have put in place in recent years, the Government will ensure that school accommodation needs will be met.

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