asked the Minister for Education if he will state the present position regarding the proposed new school at Churchfield, Gurranebraher, Cork.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - New Schools.
A grant was sanctioned by my Department in September, 1955, towards the cost of the erection of a new school for senior boys at Churchfield, Gurranebraher, Cork. Tenders for the building have been received by the Commissioners of Public Works, but the placing of a contract for the erection of the school has had to be deferred for the present, because of the fact that the commissioners' existing contractual commitments in respect of expenditure of grants on school building and improvement in the current financial year will fully exhaust the amount provided in the Estimates under Vote 9.
asked the Minister for Education if he will state the present position regarding the proposed new school at Spangle Hill, Cork.
A suitable site has been offered for the new national school for senior girls and infants which it is proposed to erect at Spangle Hill, Cork City, and the planning of the school has reached an advanced stage. My Department is in communication with the reverend manager in regard to the production of evidence of title to the site and certain other arrangements which have to be made before a grant towards the cost of the construction of the school can be sanctioned.
asked the Minister for Education whether he is aware of the delay in erecting a new school to replace the existing convent national school at Milltown, County Kerry, and if he is now in a position to allocate a grant for the purpose.
A sketch plan and an estimate of the cost of the proposed new school to replace the existing convent national school at Milltown, County Kerry, have been prepared by the Commissioners of Public Works and my Department is in communication with the reverend manager in regard to the production of evidence of title to the site and to certain other arrangements which have to be made before a grant can be sanctioned towards the cost of the new school.
asked the Minister for Education if he will state in respect of (a) primary schools, and (b) vocational schools, the expenditure on new schools in the year 1955-56, and to date in the current financial year, and the estimated expenditure during the remainder of the financial year.
The total grant expenditure on the erection of new primary schools and on the enlargement and improvement of existing schools during the financial year 1955-56 amounted to £1,042,000.
I regret that I am not able to separate for the Deputy the figures for new schools only, as the records kept by the Commissioners of Public Works do not distinguish between new schools and enlargements and improvements.
Expenditure of grants from the 1st April, 1956, to the 30th September, 1956, on the erection of new primary schools and on the enlargement and improvement of existing schools amounted to £642,250, and the estimated expenditure from the 1st October, 1956, to the 31st March, 1957, is £622,000. The total estimated expenditure for the current financial year is, therefore, £1,264,250.
The expenditure on new vocational schools in the financial year 1955-56 was £277,636.
The estimated expenditure on new vocational schools in the current financial year is £533,500.
I regret I am not in a position to give the amount of actual expenditure to date in the current financial year, as full particulars of the expenditure of vocational education committees will not be furnished until after the close of the year.
Would the Minister state if the £1,264,000, estimated for schools in the current year, will actually be expended?
Yes, and it will be £222,250 more than the expenditure last year.
Does the Minister deny that there is a go-slow programme with regard to schools?
If the Deputy had been listening to the answer I gave to the first question to Deputy Casey, with regard to Churchfield in Cork, he would understand that all the moneys that have been estimated for by the Commissioners of Public Works for expenditure in the current year have been exhausted or earmarked. It will all be spent.
The Deputy is aware that there are unprecedented clays with regard to school building at the moment.
As indicated in my statement to the House on the Estimate, I am aware that at the beginning of this year there was £3,500,000 worth of building work on primary schools that was sanctioned by my Department in arrears in the Office of Public Works due to the difficulties that I explained at that time.
asked the Minister for Education if he will state the number, and estimated cost, of (a) new primary schools, and (b) new vocational schools sanctioned by his Department during the year 1955-56, and to date during the present financial year.
During the financial year 1955-56 grants were sanctioned by my Department for the erection of 92 new primary schools, the total estimated cost of which is £1,168,460. In addition grants were sanctioned towards the cost of carrying out works at a large number of existing primary schools at an estimated cost of £628,340. The total estimated cost of all these projects was thus £1,796,800.
During the current financial year to date grants have been sanctioned for the erection of 26 new primary schools at an estimated cost of £239,500. Grants have also been sanctioned for carrying out works at existing primary schools at an estimated cost of £239,950. The total estimated expenditure involved is thus £479,450.
Sanction was given for the erection of ten new vocational schools in the financial year 1955-56 at a total estimated cost of £347,700.
Sanction has been given to date in the current financial year for the erection of eight new vocational schools at a total estimated cost of £113,000.