Vol. 509 No. 3
14 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science the procedures and steps to be taken to establish a new primary school in any developing area; the help and support available from his Department to establish such a school; and the level of financing available for the site and building. [19791/99]
My Department monitors local authority development plans and meets with those authorities as required to establish the location and scale of major housing developments. An assessment is carried out of the likely implications of such developments in relation to the capacity of existing schools and, where appropriate, the local authority is requested to reserve a site for educational purposes. In this way, every effort is made to ensure that there is adequate existing provision or that timely arrangements are made to extend capacity where necessary.
A group or organisation seeking to establish a new school in a developing area is required to submit a formal application to the planning section of my Department. The application should include enrolment details and indicate how it is proposed to accommodate the school. Successful applicants would be required to nominate a patron and appoint a board of management in accordance with standard procedure.
All applications for the recognition of new primary schools, including denominational, multi-denominational and all-Irish schools, are considered on the same basis. Usually, provisional recognition is granted initially. However, permanent recognition may be granted at the outset where a prospective school can demonstrate that it is likely to have a large initial enrolment which is expected to grow further in subsequent years.
When a school has been granted provisional recognition, it becomes eligible for payment of teachers' salaries, capitation grant, rental grant and a furniture grant.
Generally, the question of granting permanent recognition is considered after a number of years of operation in the light of each school's development, having particular regard to pupil enrolment and adherence to the Rules for National Schools. At that stage, it is possible to determine whether a school has established its viability. Where that is the case, permanent recognition is granted and the school becomes eligible to apply for capital grant-aid.
As a result of a major initiative, which I announced earlier this year, my Department is now in a position to provide the entire purchase cost of sites for schools and 95 per cent of the building cost. I also raised very significantly the rate of funding available to schools renting temporary accommodation.
I should point out that I am examining the commission's report in detail at the present time and I expect to have completed my analysis in the near future.
