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Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 10 Feb 2010

Vol. 200 No. 10

Schools Building Projects.

At the outset, I would like to provide a quick chronology of events at Kingscourt. I would also like to acknowledge that Councillor David Blake from Kingscourt has been working very hard on this project and has been lobbying me intensely on it. He wants me to convey to the Minister of Education and Science the community's anxiety on the matter.

In 1968, Cavan VEC bought the requisite lands to provide a school for Kingscourt. Numerous submissions to the Department from the VEC on the provision of a school took place after that. A letter in June 1981 from the then Minister for Education, the late John P. Wilson, stated that the catchment for the proposed new school was decided. However, the position of three additional primary schools would be decided following consultation, which effectively gave further impetus to the school.

A report was forwarded to the Department of Education and Science in May 2007 in an effort to progress the case for a new school in Kingscourt. The Department forwarded a letter to the VEC in April 2009, giving approval in principle for the establishment of a new post-primary school in Kingscourt. At that stage, there was a ministerial announcement from the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Smith, that he had been informed by the Minister for Education and Science of an agreement in principle to build the school, with all the usual media focus on that. Department officials visited Kingscourt at that time and looked at the proposed site and the existing accommodation. It was proposed that the existing premises be used temporarily for the new school until such time as a new building would be in place. This made logical sense and allowed for incremental growth of the school.

The VEC wrote to the Department in May 2009, outlining the potential primary feeder schools for the proposed new post-primary school. That was a further consolidation of what was already coming through. A letter to the Department in September 2009 from the CEO of the VEC in Cavan requested a roll number in respect of the new school, with a view to putting the necessary action in place to open in September 2010. There has been no response yet to that letter, which is the reason for this matter on the Adjournment.

Kingscourt is the only town in County Cavan with a population of more than 1,700 that does not have a second level school. There has been an increase of at least 13% in the new entrants to primary schools since the report was prepared by the VEC in 2007, so the case for a new school has increased. There are 400 pupils being bussed from Kingscourt to schools in Carrickmacross, Bailieborough, Nobber and Ardee. The 2007 report from the VEC, which was comprehensive and empirically and factually based, stated that Nobber would lose 35% of its pupils if a school was opened in Kingscourt, but that this was well compensated for by an increase in population in the area and by the growth of Nobber. That growth is demonstrated by the fact that there has been a request for an extension to the school in Nobber. There is also an overflow into Nobber due to overcrowding in Navan and Kells. Carrickmacross has four primary schools that feed into the town's post-primary school, with 680 pupils. The impact of a new school in Kingscourt would have considerably less impact in Carrickmacross than Nobber, but Carrickmacross is a rapidly growing town. The impact on Bailieborough, and Ardee would be negligible. I can supply all the figures from this report to the Minister.

The physical facilities are already in Kingscourt. The building, the classrooms, the grounds and playing infrastructure are there to start the school. The physical space is there and the commitment in principle is there. Why should there be discrimination against Kingscourt? It has the fastest growth rate in the whole region. The dislocation involved affects society in the area as kids do not identify with their town when they are bussed out to schools in other towns. There is a revenue loss to the town of about €10,000 per week due to lunches and so on. There is also a transport bill for the pupils, but the big issue is that the sense of community is affected by the fact that the kids are bussed out and spend an hour and a half travelling to school.

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science. I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the Minister's proposal for a new post-primary school in Kingscourt, County Cavan.

The Minister was pleased to announce his approval, in principle, for the establishment of a new post-primary school for Kingscourt last year. An examination of the demographics and projected pupil numbers by the forward planning section of the Department satisfied the Minister that a facility for between 300 and 400 pupils will be sustainable in this area in the medium term. Plans for the new school are at an early stage and there are a number of preliminary investigations to be carried out before the project can be considered for inclusion in the Department of Education and Science's school building programme. This includes consideration on how the new school building should be procured and a possible timeframe for its delivery, given the availability of funding and the competing demands for that funding.

In considering procurement methods, delivery through the public private partnership model will be examined. Three separate public private partnership bundles have been announced to date and these are going through the procurement process. The make-up and timing of further bundles will be determined by the Department of Education and Science in consultation with the National Development Finance Agency. The issues to be considered in the timing and bundling of further projects include site availability for each school, geographical spread and the estimated total cost of the proposed bundle. When all preliminary matters have been decided in respect of the proposed project for Kingscourt, normal procedures will be put in train to advance the project. This will include the assignment of a roll number, the preparation of an educational worksheet and the drawing up of schedules of accommodation. This is a common approach by the Department of Education and Science for all such projects.

The assignment of a roll number, which is necessary when a decision has been taken to proceed with a building project, also sets a school up for the appointment of a board of management and teaching resources and for the payment of capitation grants and other grant aid. As the development of the new school is in the very early stages, it is not sufficiently advanced to need a roll number at this time. In keeping with its practices and procedures in this matter, the Department of Education and Science will be in contact with the school's patron at the appropriate time with a roll number for the school.

I thank the Senator for raising this matter.

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. Does the Minister consider that with the physical building owned by the VEC, with classrooms, space and playing grounds, he should grant a roll number and allow the school to open with first-year students? I appreciate his comments on funding and arriving at public private partnership agreements later. Does the Minister of State agree with allowing the school to open? Would that not be necessary in light of the commitment last spring?

I listened to the Senator's proposal and will take the matter up with officials in my Department.

I appreciate that. Given that it was decided to go ahead with this project, and we have the space and classrooms, we believe we can make a proper start now.

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