Architectural planning for a building project at Barnaderg national school is at an advanced stage. Decisions on projects proceeding to tender and construction are taken in the light of the annual allocation for primary school buildings, the financial commitments to be met and the priority to be afforded to individual projects.
My Department has an extensive primary school building programme for 2002 under way at present, details of which are available on my Department's website at www.education.ie. It is not envisaged that the proposed building project at Barnaderg national school will proceed to construction in 2002.
Later this year when a financial allocation has been made for the primary school building programme in the 2003 Estimates I will be framing a further comprehensive programme of works that will proceed to construction and Barnaderg national school will be one of those considered for inclusion in that programme. In the interim, I am arranging for the issue of remediation works at the school for radon to be treated as a separate project. The design team will be requested to put the necessary procedures in place as soon as possible to deal with this issue. My Department will be in contact with the schools concerned when the programme for 2003 is published.
It should be clearly understood that the primary responsibility for the health and safety of the pupils and teachers at Barnaderg national school rests with the school's board of management. The onus is on the board of management to use the annual minor works grant that they receive from my Department so as to ensure that urgent health and safety issues are satisfactorily addressed. If necessary, my Department will consider supplementing this grant as an interim measure until a major project can be undertaken at the school.
