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Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 9 Jul 2008

Vol. 190 No. 12

Physical Education Facilities.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing this motion on the Adjournment and welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Deputy Conor Lenihan, to the House. For ten years, the case has been made for the construction of a sports hall at Davitt College in Castlebar. It is ridiculous that a sports hall which will cost only a couple of million euro has been announced three or four times. Ministers, Deputies, a Senator and local councillors announced the project would proceed prior to the most recent local elections and the two previous general elections. I ask the Minister of State to outline the current position regarding the extension.

If the project is not approved, I fear there will be consequences when the term commences in September. Staff are at their wits' end and students are at an unfair disadvantage compared to other colleges in that they do not have a sports hall. The poor weather of recent years is a further consideration. The principal and teaching staff at Davitt College do a marvellous job. I hope the Minister of State bears good news and will not do as several of his predecessors have done and make an announcement for political purposes.

Senator Paddy Burke is an intelligent man whom I do not propose to lead astray. He and his party will be aware that significant adjustments are being made to public expenditure.

I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity of outlining to the Seanad the position of the Department of Education and Science regarding the provision of a new physical education hall for Davitt College, Castlebar, County Mayo. The proposed new PE hall project is at an advanced stage of architectural planning and a tender report for the project is under examination by the Department.

As the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, has explained to the House previously, all applications for large-scale capital funding are assessed in the Department against published prioritisation. Each project is assigned a band rating under these criteria which reflects the type of works required and the urgency attaching to them. A band 4.1 rating has been assigned to the project for Davitt College.

Unfortunately, the Minister is not in a position to approve further school building projects, including that for Davitt College, at the present time. As previously indicated, he will not make any decision on further capital expenditure until he has completed the current review of the Department's spending plans for 2008. While the Minister understands that some schools will be disappointed that their projects will not proceed as quickly as they may have hoped, it would be disingenuous of him to create an impression to the contrary.

The Senator will appreciate the Minister must manage his Department's capital budget in a responsible manner and, in so doing, ensure funding is targeted at schools most in need. For this reason, the Department introduced prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects, which were formulated following consultation with the education partners. Thousands of building projects were carried out under the previous national development plan to provide new and modernised educational infrastructure and thousands more will be carried out under the new NDP. However, there must be an order as to how these projects proceed and a realisation that not all building projects can proceed together.

The extent of the demand on the capital budget is considerable, providing, as it does, accommodation for new communities together with accommodation for the unprecedented number of extra teachers the Government has put into the system. We must also modernise much of the existing stock as a result of historical underinvestment in it. This task will not be completed overnight. However, major inroads have been made and the Government will continue to build on the success of the previous national development plan which delivered more than 7,800 building projects. As I stated, this must be done in an orderly and planned manner and on the basis of the most pressing need.

Projects will be advanced incrementally through the system over time, consistent with the priority attaching to them. This approach is critical to ensuring schools know their individual projects will be allowed to proceed in order of priority as and when funding allows. Equally, this position applies to the delivery of the project in Davitt College and is consistent with the overall approach of the Department's schools building programme. I thank the Senator again for affording me the opportunity to outline the current position regarding Davitt College.

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. It is a pity the previous Minister for Education and Science misled the staff and students of Davitt College. Will the Minister of State explain the band rating system?

The band rating of the project in Davitt College is 4.1.

Where do band ratings start?

Band ratings ascend in order from band 1. Schools with band 1 ratings have priority and are close to construction, possibly even at the design stage. My officials will communicate with the Senator regarding the details of the band rating system, which are also available on the Department's website. It is a fully transparent process.

As Senator Burke will be aware, a significant reappraisal of public expenditure is under way in the Department. To be fair to the Minister, who is new to office, he has made clear he will not make any commitments and projects on which commitments have been given, even those with a high priority, including schools with a higher priority than Davitt College, will not be given approval until the current review has been completed. He will wait until September before giving full clarity on which building projects will proceed and which will, of necessity, be stalled due to current economic circumstances.

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