School Accommodation.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 July 2004

Tuesday, 6 July 2004

Questions (248, 249)

Seymour Crawford

Question:

281 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will report on an application for a school (details supplied) in County Monaghan regarding its urgent need for additional teachers and for additional accommodation; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that classes are being held in a room where teachers cannot get anywhere near the pupils due to the fact that there is only room for tables and chairs; his views on whether this is a poor environment for children with special needs to be educated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20376/04]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

The staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule and is finalised for a particular year following discussions with the education partners.

The mainstream staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy for the current school year is a principal and seven mainstream class teachers based on the enrolment of 196 pupils on 30 September 2002.

Based on the enrolment on 30 September 2003 of 203 pupils, the mainstream staffing for the school year 2004-05 will remain at principal and seven mainstream class teachers. The agreed appointment figure for the eighth mainstream class teacher is 209 pupils.

It is open to the board of management of a primary school to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent appeals board, which was established to adjudicate on appeals on mainstream staffing allocations in primary schools. Details of the criteria and application date for appeal were issued recently to all primary schools.

The large-scale building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is listed in section 8 of the 2004 school building programme which is published on my Department's website at www.education.ie. This project is at stage 3, or developed sketch scheme, of architectural planning. It has been assigned a band 2 rating by my Department in accordance with the published criteria for prioritising large-scale projects.

It is planned to progress this project to advanced architectural planning during 2004.

Indicative timescales have been included for large-scale projects proceeding to tender in 2004. The budget announcement regarding multi-annual capital envelopes will enable me to adopt a multi-annual framework for the school building programme, which in turn will give greater clarity regarding projects that are not progressing to tender in this year's programme including the school referred to by the Deputy. I will make a further announcement in that regard during the year.

Seymour Crawford

Question:

282 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will give an update on the application from a school (details supplied) in County Cavan for funding an extension to their school; if he will agree to examine this need under the pilot scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20377/04]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

When I published the 2004 school building programme, I outlined that my strategy going forward will be grounded in capital investment based on multi-annual allocations. My officials are currently reviewing all projects, which were not authorised to proceed as part of the 2004 school building programme, with a view to including them as part of a multi-annual programme from 2005 and I expect to be in a position to make further announcements on this matter in the course of the year.

The proposed project at St. Killian's national school, Mullagh, County Cavan, and the suitability of this project for inclusion under the pilot initiative will be considered in this review.