Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 April 2014
54. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) in County Kildare has applied for funding to expand its physical capacity; his Department’s policy in relation to the size of the school’s intake as to determining when it will fund expansion; if construction of a general purposes room will be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16859/14]
View answerI can confirm that the school in question applied to my Department for major capital funding for the replacement of prefabricated accommodation with a permanent structure and also for the provision of a General Purpose Room. The school has not applied for funding to facilitate its growth beyond its current core staffing level of a Principal and seven mainstream teachers. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that funding for the replacement of the prefabricated accommodation was provided under the 2012 Prefab Replacement Scheme. In view of the constraints imposed by the need to prioritise available funding for the provision of essential classroom accommodation, my Department is not in a position to provide funding for a General Purpose Room at this time. The Deputy will be aware that the over-riding objective of Education capital expenditure is to meet the demographic challenge facing the education system, whereby total pupil enrolment in both primary and post-primary schools is expected to grow by around 107,000 additional pupils between 2012 and 2019 - over 70,000 at primary level and over 35,000 at post primary - and will continue to rise at post primary level to the year 2026, at least. The 5 Year Construction Plan prioritises major school projects in areas where future significant demographic changes have been identified. The Forward Planning Section of my Department will continue to analyse demographic trends and monitor enrolments in all areas to determine the level of additional school provision which will be required into the future. It is open to a school experiencing significant demand for school places that would warrant an additional mainstream teacher to consult with my Department should it not be possible to accommodate the additional teacher in the school's existing accommodation.
