Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 30 Apr 2008

Vol. 653 No. 3

School Accommodation.

Deputy Olwyn Enright

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this important issue. I do so on behalf of Gaelscoil Portlaoise which has been trying for a considerable period to secure permanent accommodation. The Department of Education and Science recently requested the school to enter into a further three-year lease on the current site at Heathfield in Portlaoise. The annual rent for the site is €120,000, in addition to which the school must pay rent of approximately €155,000 for classrooms and Portakabins. The total being spent by the Department on temporary accommodation for the school is €275,000 per annum. The Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, and other Deputies present will agree this is a large sum for a temporary facility.

In September 2008, the 11-teacher school will have 208 pupils, a figure which is expected to increase considerably in the coming years. The gaelscoil was originally founded in the prison officers club in Portlaoise in 1998. Thereafter it moved to the GAA club and has been located on the current site at Heathfield for three years. The school authorities, parents' council and others have done substantial work on the school's infrastructure, including the installation of tarmacadam areas for sport. Approximately €50,000 was spent on this type of work in the past three years.

I share the concern of parents and the school authorities about the lack of commitment to a permanent accommodation solution. A difficulty has arisen in Portlaoise because all the town's schools have been allowed to drift on the Department's schools building programme for a considerable period. Consequently, school accommodation throughout the town has reached crisis point. While solutions for some schools are in the offing, a solution has not been provided for the gaelscoil.

Every time a Deputy raises this issue with the Department, it refers to the McCarthy report issued in 2000 and indicates the school will be considered in 2011 when all other schools in the town have secured accommodation. The other schools are not optimistic on that count. Parents and teachers are frustrated by the Department's approach.

The key issue is the large amount of money the Department is spending on temporary accommodation. By 2011, almost €1 million will have been spent on a temporary facility. The sum would go a long way to providing a permanent accommodation solution. The school has submitted two site options, including the current site, to the Department and is anxious to enter into meaningful negotiations with it to find a permanent solution. While the school authorities want to keep the school open for the next number of years, they also want a permanent facility, rather than an expensive temporary facility. In the eyes of the school authorities, the current accommodation has been a long-term solution which bridges a gap but does not offer a long-term answer. I ask that the Minister give the issue serious consideration, enter into meaningful negotiations and provide a permanent solution to the problem.

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science (Deputy Seán Haughey)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and the current position regarding my Department's long-term plan for Portlaoise in general. On the latter issue, the developing areas unit of the Department has identified the town as an area of rapid development. In this regard, a decision has been taken to provide three new post-primary schools and amalgamate and expand primary provision to meet the growing needs of the area. Educational provision at post-primary level needed to be addressed first and a new VEC school building has been delivered. The two other post-primary school building projects are due to go on site this year and are being delivered by way of public private partnership.

Now that the accommodation requirements of the town at post-primary level are well on the way to being addressed, it is proposed to deal with the primary school requirements. Approval in principle has been given for five large-scale primary building projects in Portlaoise which will improve conditions for the schools concerned and provide much needed extra school places.

Two new green field site schools will be built to facilitate the amalgamation of Scoil Náisiúnta an Chroí Naofa, St. Paul's primary school and Scoil Náisiúnta Mhuire. The new facilities will be configured as a junior and senior school and will cater for 1,600 pupils. The school authorities were given approval to appoint design teams and the nominees under consideration are with the Department for ratification.

The third project is the extension of Scoil Bride, Knockmay, to create a 32 classroom school catering for 800 pupils. The school authorities were given approval to appoint design teams and the nominees under consideration for this project are also with the Department for ratification. The fourth is the extension of The Heath national school which will enable it to cater for 200 pupils. A site visit has been carried out by the Department's technical staff. Funding is also being made available to Maryboro national school on a devolved basis to enable the construction of a new three classroom school for 75 pupils.

Taking all these factors into consideration the Department is examining options for the provision of permanent accommodation for Gaelscoil Portlaoise.

Deputy Olwyn Enright

What are they?

Deputy Seán Haughey

The various options under consideration will be considered in the context of the Department's multiannual school building and modernisation programme. The Department will keep the school informed of any developments. I thank the Deputy again for affording me the opportunity to outline the current position regarding schools in Portlaoise.