I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, to the House.
Adjournment Matters
National Vision Policy
Cuirim céad fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Tá mé thar a bheith buíoch di as ucht teacht isteach ar an gceist iontach tábhachtach seo.
I raise on the Adjournment this issue which relates to the Vision Impaired Service Providers Alliance, VISPA, and services for persons with visual impairment. As the Minister will be aware, last week was World Vision Day and a group from VISPA marched to the Dáil and handed a letter in to the Taoiseach, and my party organised an information session with them on the previous evening. The VISPA group is made up of four organisations. They are the National Council for the Blind of Ireland, the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, St. Joseph's Centre for the Visually Impaired and Fighting Blindness. They are trying to draw awareness to the issue of visual impairment. Some 224,832 persons in Ireland are affected by sight loss, while 12,995 persons are classified as blind.
I want to recognise at this stage the input of Senator Conway to this debate and, certainly, last week as well. He is always vocal on this issue, for which I commend him.
The real financial cost of visual impairment and blindness in Ireland is estimated to be €386.09 million in 2010 and the charities mentioned provide essential services and lead innovation. For over 70 years, Ireland's vision rehabilitation needs have been met largely by charitable organisations and while they receive Government funds, their success depends on individual generosity and fund-raising. They provide essential services and lead innovation in the areas of education and retraining, mobility and independent living, social care and counselling, developing better assistive technologies, and also funding social and medical research on blindness.
A commitment was made in 2003. I refer to the WHO global resolution, supported by the Government in 2003 and 2009. In that commitment the Government committed to create a national co-ordinating committee by 2009 to implement the recommendations in Vision 2020, yet nothing has been established to date. Some 118 World Health Organization member states have established national committees, as was indicated in that commitment.
The Government must honour the commitments in that document and it should do this as quickly as possible. The cost of sight loss survey indicates that the State's investment in vision health is more than €380 million, that is more than €1 million a day. This funding should be co-ordinated and delivered through a national vision strategy, which is another part of the Adjournment motion. Included in a vision strategy would be the following: access to services such as opthomology, which are under-funded, and critical planning.
With regard to rehabilitation, with the right support people affected by sight loss can maintain a good quality of life and this is very important. Research needs to be continually funded. Interestingly, although this area involves people with a disability, it also has great potential because it is the area in which some of the top research in the world is being done. Last week, I was told by the experts dealing with it that clinical trials would be imminent if funding was continued. If clinical trials can be put in place, not only would they provide great help to those suffering from loss of sight or blindness, but they would create the potential for jobs in the country because the cures that potentially could be developed on Irish soil would make us a world leader in the area. It would make no sense whatsoever to stop investment in research, and this investment should be increased. We also need to increase the awareness of people about the issues involved.
Is the Government willing to support VISPA's recommendations? It has called on the Government to work with all vision health stakeholders to develop and implement a vision health plan for Ireland. We cannot afford to wait to plan for the imminent vision health crisis. Tá mé thar a bheith buíoch don Aire agus tuigim go bhfuil a fhios aige go maith faoin gcás seo agus go dteastaíonn an tacaíocht seo. Tá mé ag tnúth leis an bhfreagra a bheidh le fáil ón Rialtas.
I appreciate the Senator raising the issue as it gives me an opportunity to set out the Government's thinking on it.
Vision 2020 is the global initiative for the elimination of avoidable blindness. It is a joint programme of the World Health Organization and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. On a worldwide basis, it is estimated that up to 80% of blindness is avoidable, which indicates cost-effective treatments are available. Vision 2020 has targeted a number of diseases that contribute to blindness. Many of these diseases are related to infections commonly found in tropical regions.
The World Health Organization monitoring committee for the elimination of avoidable blindness stated in 2006 that, generally speaking, the prevention of blindness is, for the most part, not a public health issue in a large percentage of countries in the Americas and Europe. It went on to state that many of the countries in these two regions have long solved their infrastructure problems and their health care delivery systems function efficiently.
It is not proposed to set up a national co-ordinating committee to develop and implement a national vision policy, strategy and plan. However, the Government will continue to provide and develop vision services and supports through health prevention, screening and intervention policies and programmes. I will outline these services in a moment. We will also continue to support the members of the Vision Impaired Service Providers Alliance, including the National Council for the Blind, the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, St. Joseph's Centre for the Visually Impaired and Fighting Blindness, regarding service provision, research and support for visually impaired people in Ireland.
A number of eye conditions are part of Vision 2020, including cataract, refractive error, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Detection and treatment services are already available throughout the country, in community and acute hospital settings, for many conditions which can lead to vision impairment and blindness. For example, diabetic retinopathy is one of the most serious complications of diabetes. We know that screening, followed by treatment of retinopathy, is very effective in preventing blindness. Earlier this year, the national cancer screening programme was formally requested by the Health Service Executive to commence the development of a national diabetic retinopathy screening programme. A total of €4 million has been made available in 2011 for the development of a screening model.
Screening tests for glaucoma are available and treatment involves anti-glaucoma medication, which is also widely available. Age-related macular degeneration is the most common cause of blindness in industrialised countries. Treatment options are available for certain types of macular degeneration, although it is generally agreed that further research is required and this is on-going on a global basis. The Health Service Executive provides screening through child health examinations. Children are eligible for ophthalmic treatment and optical appliances in respect of any problems noted at child health examinations. More than ten years ago, a scheme was launched which provides free eye examinations and free spectacles to adult medical card holders.
Cataract is clouding of the lens of the eye and is amenable to surgical intervention. This surgery is widely available in acute hospitals. In July, the Minister, Deputy Reilly, announced changes in the role of the National Treatment Purchase Fund. The special delivery unit, working in close collaboration with the NTPF, will introduce a more focused strategy to target treatments for patients and systematically reduce waiting lists.
Where people are blind, the focus of any health or personal social service support is to facilitate full participation in the social and economic life of the community. When we develop policies, strategies or action plans for people with a disability, those who are blind or with a visual impairment are included. The Government will finalise a value for money and policy review of disability services before the end of the year. The report of the disability policy review has been published for public consultation and I urge everyone with an interest in the area to participate and give their opinion; we will be interested to hear them. It is my intention to examine both the policy report and the value for money report, and in conjunction with the Minister, I will bring proposals for the future of disability services to the Government.
I contend that, while it is not proposed at this time to develop a specific vision strategy, we are working through the actions required to address the goal of the WHO's initiative, namely, to eliminate avoidable blindness in Ireland.
I am very disappointed to hear the Government does not intend to establish a national co-ordinating committee to develop and implement a national vision policy, strategy or plan. We are often told that we have international commitments. The Government made commitments to the WHO in 2003 and 2009. If we are able to renege on a health commitment, why can we not renege on our commitments to the EU, the IMF and the troika? It beggars belief that we can meet our commitments in an economic area but not in health.
With respect, the reply did not address the issue of research funding. People suffering from this disability do not have time and we need to implement a strategy. They tell us research is crucial. Therefore, we strongly urge that funding in this area is not cut. It deserves essential funding. Certainly funding for research should be maintained or increased because of its economic and job potential.
I have no indication that visual impairment research funding will be cut. It would be wrong to state it will be. We have several obligations with regard to disability. We have not yet signed up to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities but we intend to do so. It is a process and we will continue along the road in respect of our other international obligations also. When it comes to how we deal with people who are visually impaired, our priority should be to provide this service for them and we are well on the way to doing this.
Health Services
I welcome Minister of State. The issue I wish to raise follows quite nicely from the previous debate because it is with regard to the provision ofdiabetic pumps and the appropriate backup staff for children with type 1 diabetes in County Galway.
Approximately 3,000 children and adolescents in Ireland have diabetes, and approximately 850 of them live in the HSE West area of which 200 to 250 live in Galway city and county. Almost all of these children and adolescents have type 1 diabetes, with the incidence of type 1 diabetes in childhood and adolescence having doubled in the past 20 years, which is quite an increase.
Generally, Ireland has very poor paediatric diabetes care, with over half of the patients having no access to a proper multidisciplinary team and many of the rest travelling long distances for care. Currently, children and adolescents with diabetes outside of Dublin are at a geographical disadvantage because of the lack of local services. On the other hand, children and adolescents with diabetes in Dublin, where there are services, are at a numerical disadvantage because so many children from outside Dublin are forced to travel there. Dublin services are inundated with referrals for children and adolescents with diabetes from throughout the country.
Children and adolescents with diabetes must attend hospital on average four to five times per year to monitor their diabetes. Monitoring children and adolescents with diabetes in hospital aims to limit the subtle but cumulative damage which diabetes can cause to the eyes, kidneys, nerves and smaller blood vessels. Up to 50% of children and adolescents with diabetes will have some form of long-term diabetes complication by the time they reach adulthood. This is worrying. Diabetes is a cumulative condition and if it is not properly approached and dealt with, complications can emerge quickly. In order to reduce the risk of a child developing any of these long-term complications, children and adolescents with diabetes learn to control their diabetes and to monitor their blood sugars and insulin levels.
Self-control of diabetes is challenging but this is what the parents want because they know that is what is best for their children. Technological advances now allow children and adolescents with diabetes to monitor their diabetes with intensive therapies, such as insulin pumps, much more effectively and accurately than with standard treatments.
Insulin pumps are the focus of my Adjournment matter. An insulin pump is a medical device used for the administration of insulin in the treatment of diabetes and of MDI, multiple daily injections of insulin. Both are an advance on the standard twice-daily injection with insulin. Insulin pumps are more correctly referred to as continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. Insulin pump technology is not available at hospitals where the vast majority of children and adolescents with diabetes receive their diabetes care. Pumps are an effective method of insulin delivery and are the method of choice in many countries that practise intensive insulin management. An improved quality of life is associated with pump usage.
The use of insulin pump technology makes a lot of sense. The long-term cost to the health service of not approaching diabetes early is huge. Patients in Ireland should have an equal opportunity to access pump therapy and they and their parents are increasingly seeking insulin pumps. The funding issue regarding pumps is improving, but it is still inadequate as demand for pumps, for example in Galway University Hospital, vastly exceeds supply. Insulin pumps are, essentially, unavailable in Galway where only 12 pumps are allocated per year, despite the hospital having the correct clinical expertise on hand. Parents of children with diabetes in Galway are clear that they want this treatment and more pumps made available locally. Having children treated in Dublin means four to five trips per year, days off school and the transfer of the child's care to a Dublin hospital where there are no records for those children.
The provision of a comprehensive pump service requires essential personnel on the mutidisciplinary team, in particular a paediatric diabetes dietician and a pump nurse. A paediatric diabetes dietician is an essential member of the multidisciplinary team required to offer effective insulin management to parents and children. The paediatric diabetes service at Galway University Hospital, with a patient load of 110, has access to dietetic services for just 12 hours per month. This is below recommended levels and this service is currently not available as the person in question is on maternity leave and due to the embargo on recruitment has not been replaced. This issue must be re-examined.
The diabetes nurse specialist staffing levels are also below recommended levels. The hospital has only a whole time equivalent of 0.75 as opposed to the recommended level of 1.5 and there is no psychologist on the team. Despite the best effort of team members, this can impact on the quality of care provided. A ring-fenced paediatric dietetic service at Galway University Hospital and nationally is urgently required to ensure the provision of intensive insulin management and a satisfactory insulin pump service.
I am surprised to learn that insulin pumps are more available in some counties, such as Dublin and Clare. These counties have funding, but others do not. Will the Minister ensure that the multidisciplinary team for diabetes care is properly and adequately staffed? Investing now in paediatric diabetes care will reduce the cost to the State in the long run of dealing with complications in adults caused by poorly managed paediatric care. Will the Minister of State explain why there are adequate pumps available in Dublin and Clare, but not in Galway where there is a case load of 110 patients, but only 12 pumps available?
Before I call on the Minister of State, I welcome Pat the Cope Gallagher, MEP, Marian Harkin, MEP, and their party to the Visitors' Gallery. They are verywelcome.
I thank Senator Healy Eames for raising this issue.
It is estimated that there are between 3,000 and 4,000 children and young adults under 16 years of age with diabetes in Ireland. Over 90% have type 1 diabetes but there is an increasing number of young patients developing type 2 diabetes. The incidence of type 1 diabetes is also increasing by about 2 to 3% per year and experts anticipate that in the next ten to 15 years, the incidence of type 1 diabetes will double. Type 1 diabetes is a particularly complex condition in children and young adults and therefore it is recommended that their care be delivered in a multidisciplinary setting with access to a consultant paediatric endocrinologist and other diabetes health care specialists. In view of the complexity of the condition and the significant dangers of hypoglycaemia to the developing brain, continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion, commonly referred to as insulin pump therapy, is often a preferred treatment option. An insulin pump is a method of administering insulin on a continuous infusion basis and is portable and easy to use. It is an alternative to injections and is an appropriate therapy for younger children.
The suitability of certain children or adolescents for insulin pumps is also a factor that must be taken into account. The HSE national clinical programme for diabetes — which includes the care of children and adolescents with diabetes — was established within the clinical strategy and programmes directorate. The purpose of the programme is to define the way diabetic clinical services should be delivered, resourced and measured. A clinician has been appointed to lead on the development of the programme, which has as its central aim to save lives, eyes and limbs of patients with diabetes.
Improvements in the care for children and young adults with diabetes are required and with this in mind a number of proposed models have been suggested. One model, based on eight to ten regional networks with the three existing Dublin centres acting as a tertiary hub of excellence and continuing to see one third of the national paediatric and adolescent diabetes population, comes from the recent Diabetes Federation of Ireland diabetes action campaign. The second model is from the expert advisory group report. This model proposes that care be centralised for each region in a dedicated paediatric and adolescent diabetes centre, looking after at least 150 children or adolescents. Ideally the centre should be in a regional hospital that has an adult diabetes centre to facilitate transition to adult care. However, the final shape of any model will be determined by the working group and may be a variation of either of the two earlier models described.
While services are provided for children and adolescents with diabetes in all the major hospitals across HSE West, there is no pump service available and children must attend either Crumlin or Temple Street to avail of this service. I wish to inform the House that the national clinical leads for diabetes and paediatrics met recently to discuss the issues involved in the care of children and adolescents with diabetes. They set up a working group to assess current services across the country, to agree a model of care and to standardise these across the country. This work will also include work on the provision of insulin pumps. The group will also work on a policy to prevent and aid the early detection of diabetes in young children and adolescents. The group was only recently established and its work is continuing.
In HSE West, services are provided by paediatricians with a special interest in diabetes in Galway University Hospital, Portiuncula Hospital and Mayo General Hospital. The consultants are supported by clinical nurse specialists in diabetes and the diabetes teams have access to dieticians, psychologists and social workers. The consultants are supported by clinical nurse specialists in diabetes and the diabetes teams have access to dieticians, psychologists and social workers. In addition, transitional clinics are provided across HSE West for adolescents who are transferring from the paediatric service to the adult service. It is widely recognised that secondary or acute care alone cannot cope with the current and increasing burden of disease. Re-organising systems into more integrated models presents opportunities for a more efficient and effective approach to the management of diabetes care. Diabetes service implementation groups have been established countrywide, including in HSE West. At national level, a priority of the working group is to progress the integrated care model of care. Work is continuing in this regard in order to improve services available for this chronic disease across the health system.
Regarding maternity leave and speaking as the Minister of State with responsibility for equality, they should be exempt from the embargo.
I am delighted by the final comment of the Minister of State. Everything the Minister of State said is what I said. She reiterated the story and, by and large, she accepts that there is a strong case for what we have said. When will the working group deliberate? What is the timeframe for the group to decide which measure to take? The Minister of State said that a clinician has been appointed to lead the development of the programme. Where is the clinician based?
The clinician will be a national lead, which is important. The difficulty with diabetes is that the service has been patchy around the country. The service in Dublin has always been the best and people travel from as far as Cork. There was a huge difficulty with childhood diabetes in Cork for a number of years. It has improved but further improvements remain to be made. Rather than a standardised performance across the country, the performance is patchy. A clinical lead brings standardisation into play. Putting the working group in place is a huge step forward. This is a problem that will double in the coming years and we must consider management of this chronic disease. The consequences of not managing it properly may be horrendous. It is often forgotten in this debate that having a specialist nurse at the end of the telephone line, who can reassure parents in the early stages and explain how to manage the child's condition, would prevent many children from ending up in hospital. I hope the working group will look seriously at this.
When will it be delivered?
I cannot say but, like the teams under Barry White and Martin Connor in the special delivery units, there is no deadline or timeframe. Rather, it is about rolling out the service and ensuring everyone gets the same service.
School Staffing
I welcome the Minister of State and I am grateful for the opportunity to raise the matter of Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré, Ballydoogan, Sligo. I should be able to debate the matter in Irish but I cannot and that may be part of the reason this motion should be listened to and acted upon by the Government. It relates to a decision taken by the Department of Education and Skills whereby this school will lose two permanent teachers at the end of the month and the principal will return to the classroom. Staffing at the school will be reduced from seven classroom teachers and an administrative principal to six teachers, including the principal. As a result, class sizes and the number of mixed classes will increase, despite the number of pupils in the school increasing from 166 to 177 in the past year. The school has been in existence since 1996 and is in temporary accommodation. A health and safety study in 2009 found the school's accommodation to be inadequate despite the high level of educational standards maintained by the teaching staff. The school had a large catchment area as there is no gaelscoil from south Donegal to south Leitrim. A great number of people are serviced by the institution and its growth from an initial 22 students in its founding year has been consistent over the years.
The decision taken by the Department, towards the end of the last Administration, means that the school is to lose two teachers. The favourable pupil-teacher ratio in small and developing gaelscoileanna was to be abandoned with effect from September. Reasonable and proven educational and linguistic reasons support this favourable ratio and we should examine the matter again. The amount of money is small in the greater scheme of things and there are a small number of gaelscoileanna. The Minister has resource issues in the context of scarcity and our changed economic environment but that is the challenge of government, to redeploy resources where they can have the maximum impact. Education is clearly one of those cases.
Next month, €700 million will be paid on unsecured bonds, presumably to one of the great European banks, and a further €1.2 billion will be paid at the beginning of next year. I realise there is a European angle to this but it is incumbent on the Government to look for a reduction on some of the bond terms. That would give adequate resources to deal with smaller issues like the gaelscoileanna, which will have such an impact on the community in Sligo.
An appeal is possible and will be lodged this week. I hope that common sense will prevail rather than a literal interpretation of the rules. This is an independent appeals board but I asked the Minister to provide additional terms of reference to the independent appeals board to use common sense when considering the grounds put forward by gaelscoileanna such as Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré, when they lose out marginally on the basis of the criteria. It is a double blow in the context of increased number of students. The school will lose not one teacher but two, including the administrative principal.
If it was up to the Minister of State, this would be done as a personal favour to me but I know that central government cannot operate like this. A small number of gaelscoileanna are affected in this way. Immersion education requires to be treated differently, where additional effort and resources are required to deal with an entire curriculum through the medium of Irish. That contributes to the renewal of our language, to which all parties are committed. I hope the Minister of State can be helpful.
Despite Senator MacSharry's lack of Irish, his enthusiasm and passion for the issue is evident. I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I thank the Senator for raising this issue as it affords me the opportunity to outline the position with regard to the staffing schedule for gaelscoileanna for the 2011-12 school year.
The standardisation of the staffing schedule for gaelscoileanna, in order that it is the same as that which applies to primary schools generally, is one of a number of measures introduced in budget 2011 to control and reduce teacher numbers. These changes became effective on 1 September 2011. The school referred to by the Senator now has the same pupil thresholds as ordinary national schools for the appointment and retention of mainstream classroom teachers. Given the financial constraints in which this country now finds itself, it is not possible to reverse these changes. The gaelscoileanna movement is well established and I do not believe that the growth of gaelscoileanna will be impeded by way of this measure. This change in the staffing schedule has resulted in an overall reduction of the order of 50 posts in gaelscoileanna. There are more than 1,500 teaching posts in these schools.
The Government will endeavour to protect front-line education services as far as possible. However, this must be done within the context of bringing overall public expenditure into line with what we can afford as a country. All areas of expenditure, including funding for gaelscoileanna, must be managed on a reduced level of resources. The challenge will be to ensure the resources provided are used to maximum effect in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for pupils.
Under the revised staffing schedule for gaelscoileanna, Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré, Ballydoogan, County Sligo, was allocated a staffing of a principal and five mainstream classroom teachers, based on its reduced enrolment of 166 on 30 September 2011. While mainstream staffing for any school year is based on the previous September's enrolment, there is a provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional mainstream posts on developing grounds, using projected enrolment. The school in question was allocated two additional mainstream posts on developing grounds, based on a projected increased enrolment for 30 September 2011. The school has now informed the Department that it has not achieved its projected increased enrolment and the posts have therefore been suppressed with effect from 4 November 2011.
It is open to any board of management to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent appeal board. Details of the criteria for appeal are contained in the staffing schedule, Circular 0019/2011, which is available on the Department's website. The appeal board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.
On the issue of accommodation, Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré is currently located in rented accommodation at St. Mary's GAA club, at a cost of €131,922.54 per annum, which is grant-aided by the Department at a rate of 100%. A reconfiguration of the temporary accommodation was approved in 2009, providing a purpose-built two-storey, modular and temporary unit in addition to the clubhouse accommodation at St. Mary's GAA club.
An application for a new school building was received from the school authorities in March 1999 and assigned a band rating of 2.2, in accordance with the Department's published criteria for prioritising large-scale capital projects, which are available on the Department's website. The progression of all large-scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered. Their progression is contingent on the availability of funding within the Department's multi-annual school building and modernisation programme and the competing demands for this funding. However, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of the particular project at this time.
I understand fully the frustration of boards of management, teachers and parents when a school is given an allocation which is subsequently withdrawn through no fault of the school. Unfortunately, in the current circumstances, in which we are relying on the generosity of others, resources are limited.
I am disappointed with the Minister of State's response, although I appreciate it is one of those set-piece documents the Department doles out on this issue. The reality is that one size does not fit all when it comes to gaelscoileanna. I appreciate that we must get by with fewer resources, but I remind the Minister of State that we are about to pay back very large amounts of money to unsecured bondholders. Even a slight reduction in that repayment would facilitate the issue of immersion education and the needs of Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré and others like it throughout the State.
I also remind the Minister of State that at a recent meeting of the Joint Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education, there was cross-party agreement, including from Labour Party Members, that we should lobby heavily on this issue. I ask the Minister of State to urge her colleague, the Minister, Deputy Quinn, to direct that common sense prevail in the appeal process in regard to this school.
School Accommodation
Scoil Ghormáin Naofa in Gorey, County Wexford, is a standard two-classroom school built in 1950, similar to many older schools throughout the State. Today there are 128 pupils on the roll, who are largely accommodated in six prefabricated buildings, one of which functions as a disabled toilet. The school has six teachers and two resource teachers. The number in junior infants increased from 15 in 2010 to 22 in 2011 and is expected to increase further, to 26 in 2012, 30 in 2013 and 2014, and 32 in 2015. The cost to the Department of the prefabricated accommodation is in the region of €40,000 per annum.
When the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, was Labour Party spokesman for education, he was blistering in his attacks on the Department for paying out these types of costs. Scoil Ghormáin Naofa is seeking devolved funding for an extension of four classrooms and the refurbishment of the original 1950 two-classroom facility. I understand the building cost per classroom is now €70,000. This is a reasonable request. Members of the community have told me that once this funding is received, they will do whatever is required to ensure a new, modern facility is constructed. They will not return to the Department requesting additional funding. All they are seeking is four times the classroom grant plus the refurbishment cost for the original building. This represents value for money, which is an absolute requirement for any such projects in the current circumstances.
I look forward to the Minister of State's response.
I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I thank the Senator for raising it as it provides me with an opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and to clarify the current position on the application for major capital funding from Scoil Ghormáin Naofa, Castletown, Gorey, County Wexford.
The school has a core staffing level of a principal and four mainstream teachers, together with two support staff. This staffing level is based on the school's 2010 enrolment of 126 pupils. The school authority submitted an application for major capital funding for an extension and refurbishment works to the Department. As part of the assessment process, a project is assigned a band rating under published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects. These criteria were devised following consultation with the education partners. A building project moves through the system commensurate with the band rating assigned to it. There are four band ratings overall, of which band 1 is the highest and band 4 the lowest. The project for Scoil Ghormáin Naofa was assigned a band two rating.
The Department of Education and Skills is forecasting an increase of more than 43,000 primary pupils and 24,900 post-primary pupils by the start of the 2017-18 school year. In order to meet the needs of our growing population of school-going children, the Department must establish 40 new schools, as well as extending a number of existing schools in areas where demographic growth has been identified. The delivery of these new schools, together with extension projects to meet future demand, will be the main focus of the Department's budget for the coming years.
While enrolments at Scoil Ghormáin Naofa have increased by 21% in the past five years, it is not envisaged that the school will be extended to meet the demographic growth to which I referred. However, the Department accepts that the school has temporary accommodation which, while it is relatively new, will in time need to be replaced should enrolment remain at current levels. The school has benefited from various grants amounting to in excess of €90,000 in recent years to carry out various improvement works.
It is not possible to advance all applications for capital funding concurrently. All school building projects, including a project for Scoil Ghormáin Naofa, will be advanced incrementally over time within the context of the funding available. However, in light of current competing demands under the Department's capital budget, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of the project at this time. I thank the Senator again for the opportunity to reply to the matter.
That was an appalling answer. I know the Minister of State did not write it but if I was her, I would have been embarrassed giving me that answer, and I do not say that lightly. If she was in the position I am in, she would not accept that answer. The bulk of the page and a half of the reply is about something else. There is one small fact contained in it, indicating an increase of 21% in the past five years. It is not acceptable to come to the House with an answer like this. That is what the other guys did and that is why they were put out of office. Is this how matters on the Adjournment are to be answered by the Department? I am not blaming the Minister of State as she is delivering the message and I am not going to shoot the messenger on this occasion, but I ask her to go back to whoever gave her that reply and tell that person that it is not acceptable to me. It is a disgrace to throw that reply up in front of somebody at this stage of a debate. The reason the other guys were put out of office was because they treated this Chamber with disdain by giving replies such as the one I got. It is not acceptable. I ask that this Adjournment matter be taken next week again and that I get a proper answer to it.
The Seanad adjourned at 8.15 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 20 October 2011.