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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 Jun 2001

Vol. 537 No. 5

Priority Questions. - Schools Building Projects.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

59 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of applications for major capital works from primary and second level schools which are awaiting decision within his Department, his views on whether his Department is capable of dealing with this volume of work, and if he will bring forward proposals for tackling this considerable backlog of work. [17292/01]

The planning and building unit of my Department is processing more than 850 major primary and second level schools projects. Work on this unprecedented number of projects is possible as a result of this Government's policy of substantially increasing the level of funding for school accommodation. The projects are a mix of new green field developments and refurbishment and replacement of existing buildings. Last year alone, in excess of £200 million was expended on primary and second level school accommodation. In the current year, it is expected that in excess of £220 million will be expended. Since taking office this Government has quadrupled the capital funding for schools.

This Government decided that the burden of providing a site for a school should be lifted from local communities and those promoting diversity of school type. I am concerned, however, that developers, particularly in urban areas, are exploiting this progressive decision. I have asked my officials to examine how we can ensure that the price sought from the State for land required for a school reflects the community purpose for which it will be used.

While my Department is addressing an historic deficit in school building it is not correct to claim that there is a backlog in processing projects. The projects in question are at various stages from initial assessment and approval through to design stages and construction. The extent to which my Department inputs and signs-off varies from stage to stage and depends on the issues that arise as individual projects are progressed.

Major building projects cannot be delivered in a relatively short period nor is progress contingent exclusively on the internal capacity of my Department. A complex range of factors governs the life cycle of any potential building project from design through compliance with the planning process to construction. My Department sanctions the wide use of external consultants to expedite the design and delivery of the vast majority of primary school projects and all second level projects. However, with the current strength of the economy there are clearly some capacity constraints within the architectural design and construction sectors that are acting as an impediment to a quicker delivery of capital projects.

The focus of my Department's planning and building unit will increasingly be on ensuring quality, best practice and value for money through an evaluation and audit approach rather than a detailed hands-on involvement in individual projects. The objective is to empower the individual school, as client in any major project, to a greater extent in the ongoing control and management of the design and build stages so that unnecessary delay can be avoided. This approach will also ensure that my Department is better placed to fulfil its strategic overarching role in relation to school building.

Parallel to the conventional approach to the delivery of major capital works in schools, my Department has been to the fore in advancing projects under the innovative public private partnership arrangements, envisaged in the national development plan. A preferred bidder has been approved and I expect to announce shortly the placing of a contract for six major educational projects, including five second level schools, under the PPP initiative. Drawing on the experience gained in those projects I envisage greater use of the design, build and operate approach of PPPs into the future. This will further enhance the unprecedented volume of work being undertaken by my Department.

Will the Minister accept that a 10% increase in the capital budget, given the current high rate of building inflation, is nothing to shout about in the context of the budget surpluses that the Government has had for the past couple of years? Will the Minister further accept that there is a significant number of schools at both primary and secondary level that are in a disgraceful condition?

Is the Minister aware of the high level of dissatisfaction among school authorities at the slow progress of building projects from start to finish being processed within his Department?

Given that there has been an increase in the level of building in recent years, has there been a commensurate increase in the number of staff within the planning and building unit of his Department? Given that external consultants are quite widely used, surely this indicates that the current number is inadequate, and that the Minister will have to look again at the question of staffing within his Department in order to streamline the building projects.

In 1996 the out-turn was £63 million, while the expected out-turn this year is £222 million. This does not include developments that take place under PPPs. The public private partnerships have allowed us to initiate further projects and the Department of Education and Science is the first body to get these partnerships under way.

There are only five.

There are five schools and a music academy. We must not forget that these are acting as a pilot for the whole system, and they seem to have worked well from our point of view. We have the opportunity to address how we can further extend the work that has been done.

There is a huge backlog to be made up with regard to the projects, but there are some 850 major primary and second level school projects being processed at present, without any difficulty. There are currently vacancies for architects in the Department, due to the pressure on the public service generally in appointing people, because of the rate of growth in the economy. The volume of work coming through is being handled and the £222 million will be spent and the PPPs will also be developed at the same time.

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