Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 June 2004
115 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the need to sanction the provision of one additional classroom for a school (details supplied) to facilitate the increased number of pupils for September 2004; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the all purpose room is used daily for physical education, assemblies, speech and drama and extra curricular activities. [17134/04]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy applied for an additional temporary classroom for September 2004 on the grounds that it would be due an additional teaching appointment. In the context of the available funding and the number of applications for that funding, it was not possible to approve all applications for temporary accommodation this year and only those schools with an absolute and demonstrated need for additional accommodation were approved. All other schools, including Scoil Phadraig Cailíní, are required, as an interim measure, to maximise the use of existing accommodation until my Department is in a position to make extra accommodation available.
116 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that parents and staff at a school (details supplied) in County Cavan are having to fundraise to provide sufficient accommodation for the 50 extra children it will take in September 2004 due to the expansion of the town; if he has been informed of similar impending problems in other local primary schools due to population growth; the discussions his Department has had with local authorities in County Cavan regarding the number of planning permissions granted in recent years, the subsequent increased demand for school accommodation and the reasons resources have not been allocated to pre-empt this accommodation shortage; the plans he has now to assist parents and staff at the school to meet its classroom needs in September 2004; and the long-term plans to meet accommodation needs in areas of population growth in County Cavan. [17135/04]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy was recently approved for grant aid towards the rental of temporary accommodation to meet its needs for September 2004. The school's permanent accommodation needs will be considered in the context of a review which is being undertaken of all projects that did not proceed as part of the 2004 schools building programme with a view to including it as part of a multi-annual school building programme from 2005, details of which will be announced later in the year.
The process of assessing and meeting the need for new educational facilities at primary or post-primary level in any given area requires a detailed examination of all relevant factors, including enrolment and demographic trends, housing developments and existing school provision in the general area.
As part of the needs determination process, the Minister for Education and Science is included among the prescribed authorities to whom local authorities are statutorily obliged to send draft development plans or proposed variations to development plans. My Department monitors these plans and meets with local authorities, as required, to establish the location, scale and pace of major housing developments. An assessment is carried out of the likely implications of such developments on the capacity of existing schools and their potential for expansion to meet emerging needs. In this way, every effort is made to ensure that there is adequate existing provision, or that timely arrangements can be made to extend capacity where necessary.
