I raise this matter following concerns in the Portlaoise area since the publication of the schools building programme – I use those words loosely – in January of this year. There was no mention in that programme of the proposed new development of the greenfield site in Portlaoise. Will the Minister of State explain how the Department of Education and Science intends to proceed with this development?
Progress has been made on the development and a greenfield site has been purchased with the Department of Education and Science. I understand outline planning permission has been sought. One of the schools involved is the Christian Brothers school in Portlaoise which was originally built in 1847. A new building was provided in 1906 and a series of prefabs were constructed or arrived at the site between 1991 and 1996. There are inadequate sports facilities in this school. There is no gymnasium, there is only one playing pitch and there are no proper facilities for resource teachers. The school cannot offer the leaving certificate applied programme or, indeed, the junior certificate schools programme because of the lack of facilities.
The other school involved is Scoil Chriost Rí, which is a 30 year old three-storey prefab. There are no language laboratories in the school and there is an insufficient science laboratory. There is only one computer room for 470 students, there are no music and drama facilities and no learning support areas, resource space, room for guidance councillors or chaplain's room. There are no social areas, the corridors are very narrow and there is a small canteen. Again, this school cannot offer the entire choice of curriculum, including the leaving certificate applied. It is unable to offer subjects such as woodwork and technical graphics because the facilities are not available.
Both schools are located in the heart of Portlaoise, as are a number of primary schools. There is no room at either school for expansion. One could not fit a prefab into the grounds of either school at this point. There are no proper parking facilities in the area. There are also problems in terms of the location of the schools. Due to the lack of resources and space in the schools, the temptation for students to leave the school build ing at lunch hour is much greater and students are quickly able to access the town.
Under the promised programme, the schools are to be located on adjacent sites, "with as much sharing as is desired between the two schools." The schools had been led to believe that the campus facility would be provided by way of public private partnership and that it would be in place by 2004. The schools thought they would open in September 2004 on this new site and have offered the public in the area the full curriculum and school programmes by 2004.
Will the Minister of State clarify when the campus will proceed and whether it will proceed by way of public private partnership? The Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Noel Dempsey, speaking at the Maritime College on 13 February said his Department is a leading force in delivery of quality infrastructural projects under the Government's public private partnership pilot programme and that it is the intention to continue to maximise the use of this method of procurement as much as possible in meeting the demands of the Department's capital programme. These two schools were not mentioned in the programme, so perhaps the Minister of State will clarify the position.
