Vol. 574 No. 2
95 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress which has been made in discussions with the Department of Finance in regard to putting in place a multi-annual schools building programme; when he expects to be in a position to announce such a programme; if the programme when announced will relate to primary, post-primary and third level building projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26735/03]
I have acknowledged that the significant levels of investment made in school buildings in recent years need to be maintained if the goal of eliminating sub-standard accommodation is to be achieved. I also favour putting in place a multi-annual capital funding envelope for the next four or five years because the provision of such an envelope for the schools building programme will enable my Department to provide greater clarity for all education partners concerning the progress of projects within the programme.
I am convinced that adopting a multi-annual approach to capital funding projects is the correct strategy and discussions are continuing with the Minister for Finance on this matter. The publication of the Estimates later this week will clarify the amount of capital I will have available for 2004. Based on the amount, the 2004 schools building programme will be finalised and I expect to be in a position to publish the programme on my Department's website no later than January 2004.
In November 2002, I announced a pause in regard to all capital development in the third level sector pending clarification of the future funding position. I decided that it was prudent to re-evaluate and review the overall position in regard to third level capital projects and to establish priorities for future years. This review is currently being carried out by the Higher Education Authority at my request, to assess the entire set of demands in all publicly funded third level institutions, to establish prioritisation and agree rephasing.
The programme for research in third level institutions, PRTLI, is a national priority which overarches all other demands for capital at third level and I indicated on Friday last that I will be making specific provision in the 2004 Estimates to enable the capital investment associated with cycle three of the programme to progress immediately. Details of the projects under cycle three of the PRTLI have already been published. Decisions in respect of other capital projects at third level will be taken when the review by the Higher Education Authority is complete.
I welcome the Minister's decision in regard to the PRTLI since we can all see the negative effects of last year's pause. We all favour a multi-annual programme but the Minister has told us there will be no change to the programme. Therefore, it appears there has been no progress in the Minister's discussions with the Minister for Finance. Will the Minister confirm that this is the case? I do not know what discussions the Minister is having with him but their fruits have yet to be made known.
The Minister stated that he would publish his programme in January 2004. Does he know whether a multi-annual envelope will be available to him by that time? From the Minister's reply, it does not appear we will get any word of multi-annual funding tomorrow and that he will just deal with the 2004 Estimates. The Minister must appreciate the difficulties which are being experienced and the disappointment which will reign across primary and secondary sectors if no progress is made on the multi-annual funding issue.
The junior certificate science syllabus has been implemented in some, but not all, schools. In that context, will the Minister confirm that he will prioritise bringing all laboratories up to date in the 2004 building programme, as he promised earlier this year? Will he comment on the INTO's stance on this issue and its threat of one-day strikes, since he has stated that such action would be in breach of Sustaining Progress?
The Deputy's question is the subject of the next Priority Question.
Will the Minister tell us what discussions he has had with the teachers' unions on the schools building programme, whether he agrees with their figures and when he expects multi-annual funding to be announced?
I thank the Deputy for acknowledging the announcement in regard to cycle three of the PRTLI. In the past 12 months, work has been ongoing with the finalisation of a number of projects in cycle two of the programme and I look forward to cycle three commencing in 2004.
I did not say no progress had taken place in regard to multi-annual funding. As far as I am concerned, I have made good progress with the Minister for Finance. The last time I answered a question on this issue, I explained that it is not only the Minister for Finance and myself who are involved, rather, multi-annual programmes, particularly of a capital nature, must be negotiated with other Departments and no decision can be made in regard to any one Department until the figures and discussions are finalised for other Departments. We are now at the final stages of that process in regard to the multi-annual capital programmes. It will not be tomorrow, but I hope that we will shortly have a good idea of our capital envelope for the next three or four years.
In regard to the introduction of the junior science programme, I am delighted that the ASTI has withdrawn its circular and that schools can now set about teaching the new junior science syllabus. The last time I checked, over 400 schools had applied to take up that option. We extended the closing date to 15 November because the decision was taken so close to the original closing date of 31 October.
I indicated that the grants we promised, as well as the cases where science laboratories are necessary, will have priority within the capital budget this year at second level and I intend to carry that through. In some cases, refurbishment works or temporary structures may be required and money will be made available for them.
96 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the warning from the INTO of the possibility of industrial action unless there is increased capital funding for primary schools in the Estimates for 2004; the steps being taken to provide additional funding and to avert the threatened industrial action; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26482/03]
I am very much aware of the concerns of the INTO regarding capital funding for primary schools and have acknowledged that the significant levels of investment made in school buildings in recent years must be maintained if the goal of eliminating substandard accommodation is to be achieved.
The major investment of recent years in upgrading school accommodation has resulted in new and enhanced school accommodation throughout the country. In the five years up to and including 2002, a total of €1.2 billion has been spent by my Department on primary and post-primary school buildings. This is a significant amount of investment.
The Government remains committed to continuing the work that it has started, and to consolidating the substantial progress that has already been made in order to ensure that the needs of schools throughout the country are met over time. The Estimates published later this week will be part of that ongoing commitment.
Regarding the threat of industrial action per se, I do not believe the interests of primary school children would be well served by any deliberate disruption to their tuition time. The Sustaining Progress agreement imposes clear requirements on all parties that have signed up to the agreement to maintain a stable industrial relations climate in the interest of ensuring the continuity of services.
I share Deputy Enright's concern that there does not appear to have been much progress regarding the multiannual funding programme. When the Minister published this building programme, and I know he intends publishing the new one in January, he suggested there was a great deal of transparency in it. Schools knew where they were and that they would progress relatively rapidly. If one looks at, for example, the primary section one can see that at stages 4 to 5, the advanced stage, there are approximately 20 schools in band 1 and 60 in band 2. Even if the Minister funds all 20 in band 1, the 60 or so in band 2 which consider themselves relatively far advanced, will be left waiting until at least the year after next and probably well into the future, unless he provides a substantial sum of extra money in the programme. I put it to the Minister that he is not going to make any significant progress on the school building programme unless there is significant funding. I know he will not tell us how much he is getting but there is serious worry and dissatisfaction among parents. We get letters regularly from parents concerned about the conditions in schools their children must attend. The evidence shows there will not be much sign of progress unless the Minister gets significant funding.
Another issue I want to raise with the Minister is that of areas where there is rapid house building, not enough places in schools and an urgent need for new schools. I think particularly of areas like Naas which has a rapidly expanding population and which I visited a couple of weeks ago. What does the Minister intend to do in those areas where children will not have school places next September unless there is significant extra funding?
Deputy O'Sullivan will recall that I said progress would be made in a transparent manner and as rapidly as funding allowed. The position remains the same. I cannot make rapid progress over and beyond the amount of money I have. Money is the important factor. I do not wish to give a smart answer to Deputy O'Sullivan but it would be better to wait and see the programme to find out whether progress is made. I know that no matter how much progress I make, Deputies on the opposite side of the House will say I have not made enough. It would be better to wait and see the programme before speculating as to which school might move and which might not. I will not do this other than in a transparent manner. I will not move schools on the list for political convenience. We had enough of that in the past. I want to get to a situation, which I believe I will achieve over the next couple of years, where when a school goes on the school building programme it will know that it will go to building stage within two or two and a half years. Putting schools into the programme just for the sake of having them there is not something I will do.
There are problems regarding places in a number of developing areas, largely around the cities. My constituency, that of the Deputy, Kildare and others are affected. A number of applications for schools are being processed or will be processed and a number of sites have been bought. Where there is an urgent and rapid need for accommodation, it will be provided on a temporary basis until more permanent buildings can be put in place. We will try to ensure that the needs of these growing areas will be met as rapidly as possible. Initially, in many cases, it will be met by temporary buildings.
