Pat Cox
Question:95 Mr. Cox asked the Minister for Education the plans, if any, she has in place to deal with the backlog of sub-standard school buildings at primary and post-primary level.
Written Answers. - Substandard School Buildings.
Everyone will agree that teachers and pupils need to be provided with a reasonable working and learning environment in good quality accommodation, taking account of issues such as the demands of a modern curriculum, the changing nature of teaching and learning resources and the need to adapt styles of pupil learning.
Despite the investment over the years, much of which was needed to cater for increasing numbers, the condition of a great many schools leaves much to be desired. In recognition of this, the programme for Government states:
We will allocate an increased amount in each of the next five years to implement a planned programme of replacing or refurbishing sub-standard school buildings.
As evidence of this commitment, the 1993 capital allocation for primary and post-primary schools represents an increase of £6.9 million or 19 per cent over the 1992 expenditure. This increased allocation has enabled me to allow 43 major national school building projects to proceed to construction in 1993 as well as 15 major post-primary projects and 18 substantial emergency and minor post-primary schemes.
Experience since taking office has convinced me of the need for a more orderly approach to the process by which major building projects are selected for release to construction each year. It is my intention to have future decisions on the progress of major projects through the architectual planning process up to the signing of a contract based on objective criteria related to relevant educational, building and financial factors. I also consider it desireable that school authorities be made aware, in an open and transparent manner, of the position of their particular building projects at the various stages. As a first step, I have, in a separate written reply to Question No. 164 of yesterday's date, provided details of the major projects which will commence in 1993 under the primary and post-primary building programmes. My intention is to build on this by disclosing the criteria on which projects are selected and prioritised and advanced through the planning process and then indicate on a regular basis where individual projects stand in relation to these criteria.