asked the Minister for Education if he will give details of various capital works including new schools, extensions and improvements, particularly at primary school level, which have been postponed; and if he is aware of the acute anxiety of many boards of management regarding their specific situations.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Postponed Capital Works.
53.
The compilation of the type of comprehensive detail sought by the Deputy would involve the expenditure of an inordinate amount of official time by my Department and I am not prepared to divert staff for its preparation.
With regard to national schools in particular, my Department are currently processing upwards of 800 applications for grant assistance towards the cost of major schemes involving either the building of new schools or the extension of existing schools, and they also deal annually with a similar volume of applications for grant assistance towards the cost of improvements to national schools. The precise dates at which projects may proceed must always be related to the exact capital allocation made to my Department in any year. It is not possible, for instance, to give specific commitment in the case of individual projects in 1987 until the capital allocation has been determined in the context of current Estimates discussions.
If Deputy O'Rourke wishes to put down a question or questions seeking information as to progress in relation to particular school projects about which she is concerned at first or second or third level, I shall be glad to supply all information reasonably available to date. I would not, however, be prepared to make a detailed statement concerning an extensive capital programme which occupies the attention of an entire division of my Department.
Why did not the Minister of State answer the second point of my question, which is, if he is aware of the acute anxiety of many boards of management regarding their specific situations?
The boards of management and the chairmen are in fairly constant contact with the Department. They are given up-to-date information with regard to their specific projects. If the Deputy has any specific instances in mind, I shall certainly have them dealt with for her.
The Minister is well aware that up and down the land at present the burning issue every evening at school meetings in community halls, parish halls, pubs or wherever, is the local national school, the improvements necessary and why these are not being carried out. The Minister will be aware that there are schools dating back to the mid and late 19th century where rats have become as numerous as the pupils. Is he aware that there appears to be paralysis within his Department in the planning, sanctioning and payment of moneys with regard to projects in primary schools in particular? Can the Minister give any commitment, or assure the House that anything will be done with regard to the provision of places in primary schools, in particular the run-down or antiquated type school to which I have referred?
I am only too well aware of the condition of some primary schools in the country. At the latest count 790 major projects were receiving or are likely to receive grants within a short time. There were 648 grant applications for major national school building schemes with a total of 142 projects under construction. There are approximately 3,000 primary schools in the country. Under the capital programme £28 million was made available for these this year. A very extensive building programme has been going on for the past decade. Quite a number of schools have been dealt with though, as the Deputy says, there are others badly in need of attention.
Will the Minister accept there is a crisis in the level of provision for capital projects in primary schools?
I am aware of the concern of the Department in attempting to deal with it. Many of the schools are substandard. On the other hand, the standards applicable to new buildings are exceptionally high.