Written answers

Tuesday, 22 September 2015

Department of Education and Skills

School Accommodation

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1232. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a permanent extension is likely to be approved for a school (details supplied) in County Kildare with particular reference to urgent replacement of the prefab structures thereat; when it is expected the works might commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31006/15]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy, through its Patron, Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB), has made an application to my Department for capital funding for the provision of additional accommodation.

The application is currently being considered and my officials are liaising with KWETB on the matter. A decision will be conveyed to the school as soon as the assessment process has been concluded.

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1233. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which primary and second level educational needs in terms of new facilities, extra classrooms or other accommodation have been identified at Leixlip, Celbridge, Maynooth and Kilcock, County Kildare; the specific requirements to be addressed in each case; her plans to address the issues; the timeframe involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31007/15]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Over €2.2 billion in funding is being invested by my Department under its Five-Year School Capital Investment Plan (2012 – 2016). Over €1.5 billion of this is being allocated for the funding of major school building projects. The balance is being used for the additional accommodation scheme, the prefab replacement initiative, the Emergency Works Scheme and the acquisition of sites. Full details of all projects both planned and ongoing, are published on the Department's website at . Planning is already underway on the next Five-Year School Capital Investment Plan.

Earlier this year, I announced that seven new primary schools will be established in the next two years to meet demographic needs in different areas of the country. Nine new post-primary schools will open over the same period. This includes a new 1,000-pupil post-primary school, Celbridge Community School, which opened in interim accommodation this September, 2015. In addition, a new 1,000-pupil post-primary school, Maynooth Community College, opened in 2014. Both of these projects are on the Five-Year Plan in addition to a replacement school building for the existing Maynooth Post-Primary School.

My Department has recently completed a nationwide demographic exercise to determine where additional post-primary school accommodation might be needed from 2017 onwards. I will announce the details of any new schools arising out of this exercise in due course.

A project for increased accommodation at a primary school in Kilcock is also included in the Five-Year Plan. The Deputy may also be aware that a recent major capital project has been completed at North Kildare Educate Together NS in Celbridge.

Funding under my Department's five-year construction plan is focussed on meeting demographic demands to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to accommodate increasing pupil numbers. This involves prioritising school building projects in areas where demographic demand is projected to exceed the level of accommodation available.

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