Vol. 577 No. 5
81 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress to date in regard to the implementation of the RAPID programme for Athy; the amount of moneys made available for the implementation of the programme from his Department for Athy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31754/03]
The RAPID programme is designed to harness the opportunities and resources of the national development plan, NDP, through the front-loading and prioritisation of investment to the 45 most deprived communities in the country. These include 25 urban areas and 20 provincial towns. This does not involve additional funding to that being provided under the NDP. The area implementation team in Athy has submitted five proposals under the RAPID programme. The current position on each proposal is outlined below.
Ke-Athy-001 refers to the construction of a new community college in Athy. The proposed large-scale building project for Athy Community College is listed in section 7 of the 2003 schools building programme which is published on my Department's website at www.education.ie. The new school project is at an early stage of architectural planning. It has been assigned a band 3 rating by my Department in accordance with the published criteria for prioritising large-scale projects. I have just published details of the 2004 school building programme on my Department's website.
Ke-Athy-002 refers to home-school liaison for Scoil Mhichil Naofa national school and St. Patrick's CBS. The home-school community liaison scheme was last expanded in September 1999. This expansion included any remaining schools designated as disadvantaged that did not have a home-school community liaison service. There are no plans to further expand this scheme. In the event of any future expansion of the scheme, I assure the Deputy that the needs of Scoil Mhichil Naofa and St. Patrick's CBS will be fully considered.
Ke-Athy-003 refers to an early start programme for Scoil Mhichil Naofa national school. This proposal relates to the early start pre-school pilot project. The early start project, which was launched in 1994, is in place in 40 selected schools in disadvantaged areas. The project is aimed at children aged between three and four years who are considered to be most at risk of not reaching their potential. It provides young children with an educational programme to enhance their overall development and lay a foundation for successful educational attainment in future years.
The question of developing and funding particular pre-school initiatives or the extension of the early start project to additional schools will be considered by the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education. This centre, which was established in 2001, is charged with developing appropriate quality standards in respect of a wide range of issues affecting early childhood education. The development of these standards is pursuant to the objectives outlined in the White Paper on early childhood education, Ready to Learn 1999. The centre will also develop appropriate forms of early intervention and support for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and children with disabilities by building on the experience of existing programmes. The RAPID proposal Ke-Athy-003 has been sent to the centre for their consideration in this context.
The Ke-Athy-012 proposal seeks to expand Kildare youth service activity for Athy's youth. The Athy youth project received an allocation of €70,174 in 2003 under the special projects for youth scheme. Due to the large number of existing commitments in the youth sector, it was not possible to provide any additional funding for the Athy youth project this year. The matter will be reviewed in 2004 in the context of available resources.
Ke-Athy-017 is an application for the inclusion of Athy in the school completion programme. The school completion programme – SCP – which was launched in 2002, incorporates the learning experience and best practice derived from previous early school leaving initiatives. It assimilates the existing eight to 15 early school leaver initiative – ESLI – and the stay in school retention initiative – SSRI – at second level. Athy Community College, which is one of the schools in Athy seeking admission to SCP, is already in the SSRI.
The objective of the school completion programme is to provide a range of interventions in areas of disadvantage which support the retention of young people in education. Eligible schools were selected on the basis of their retention rates from the Department's post-primary pupil database. This analysis also identified the main feeder primary schools. These did not include those primary schools located in Athy. The inclusion of further schools in the project strand of the school completion programme is currently under consideration in my Department.
82 D'fhiafraigh Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Oideachais agus Eolaíochta Cad iad na céimeanna atá an tAire ag glacadh chun foirgnimh bhuana a thógáil do Scoil na Camóige, Cluain Dolcáin, Baile Átha Cliath; an aontaíonn sé le bainistíocht na scoile nach bhfuil na botháin réamhdhéanta atá in úsáid faoi láthair oiriúnach mar ranganna don líon daltaí atá ag freastal ar an scoil. [31757/03]
Is é straitéis mo Roinne chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar riachtanais chóiríochta fhadtéarmacha Ghaelscoil na Camóige ná saoráidí tiomanta a sheachadadh ar shuíomh úrnua.
I gclár tógála na scoileanna 2004, a bhfuil na mionsonraí a bhaineann leis foilsithe anois ar láithreán gréasáin mo Roinne ag www.education.ie, is é an leibhéal maoinithe a bheidh ar fáil chun suímh do bhunscoileanna agus d'iarbhunscoileanna a cheannach ná €32 milliún. De bharr an íogaireacht thráchtála a bhaineann le suímh a fháil go ginearálta ní bheadh sé cuí domsa níos mó a rá faoi shuímh éagsúla a cheannach, lena n-áirítear ceann Ghaelscoil na Camóige. Nó go mbeidh mo Roinn in ann suíomh a fháil agus foirgneamh scoile buan a sholáthar is é freagracht phátrún na scoile cóiríocht eatramhach a sholáthar a fhreastalann ar riachtanais na scoile. Ní mór don chóiríocht sin rialacháin tógála, sábháilteachta, sláinte agus dóiteáin a chomhlíonadh ag gach am.
Is iad socruithe cóiríochta reatha na scoile ná go bhfuil Gaelscoil na Camóige lonnaithe i gcóiríocht shealadach ar cíos ina bhfaigheann sí 95% cúnamh deontais ina leith ó rannóg phleanála scoileanna mo Roinnse. Níor thug údarás na scoile aon deacrachtaí leis an gcóiríocht sin ar aird rannóg phleanála scoileanna na Roinne. Ó tharla go bhfuil an mhaoin atá i gceist ar cíos is féidir míshástacht le caighdeán na cóiríochta a thabhairt ar aird an léasóra ag féachaint do théarmaí an léasa.
