Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 October 2018
53. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether the capital allocation provided in 2019 will allow for the completion of all schools earmarked for completion in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42085/18]
View answerDoes the Minister believe the capital allocation provided in the budget for 2019 will allow for the completion of all schools earmarked for completion in 2019? I ask him to make a statement on the matter. I am concerned that despite a large increase in the capital budget for next year, items already programmed into it, such as the summer works scheme, the minor works grant and existing third level capital commitments, will eat up most of that increase.
My Department’s capital allocation for the school building purposes is €540 million in 2018 and this will increase by 15.2% in 2019 to €622 million.
This is facilitating an ambitious schools building programme. Construction activity in 2018 and 2019 will involve over 130 large-scale projects and about 280 smaller-scale projects under the additional accommodation scheme. These projects will deliver about 40,000 additional and replacement school places; the replacement of more than 600 prefabs which is a key element of our prefab-replacement programme; enhanced sports facilities through the construction and modernisation of 48 physical education halls at post-primary level and 82 general purpose rooms at primary level. The enhancement and modernisation of physical education, PE, facilities in schools will also facilitate community usage of these facilities; and more than 200 modern science laboratories which will support the delivery of the reformed science curricula and the roll-out of computer science as a leaving certificate subject.
As part of the significantly expanded building programme, the current design and build programme to cater for urgent accommodation needs is being ramped up. In the past this programme delivered an average of 12 new schools per year. The current programme involves 27 projects in design that are scheduled to commence construction before the end of 2019.
The Government remains committed to delivering on existing projects in the school building programme as soon as possible. I am satisfied that the €8.4 billion investment available under the National Development Plan 2018-2027 will enable us to modernise and transform our school infrastructure in 2019 and in the years ahead.
We know that 17 new schools are to open next year, only two of which have a permanent home that we know about. We also know that there are about 350 schools in the schools building programme. This comes to approximately 1,000 when schools that are trying to get into that programme are added in. Does the Minister have enough money? I have raised this issue repeatedly. I am glad to see next year's increase. I am not talking about the capital plan; I am talking about next year's budget. If the summer works programme and the minor works grant are to be paid next year, they will take out a lot of the budget because they were not paid out or dealt with this year.
In talking about the capital plan, when people hear the Minister talking about the number of PE halls to be built, the number of prefabs to be replaced, the number of general purpose rooms and the number of schools, they want to know what the delivery on the ground will be. Do we need to put up with schools that are falling apart and schools with very high energy bills because of bad structures or will we see actual delivery on the ground?
There will be a summer works programme next year. From speaking to principals and school boards of management, I know they need a good run-in time. That announcement will need to happen sooner rather than later. There will also be a minor works programme, for which there will be a good enough lead-in time. I know there is no application process involved there.
The Deputy is correct in what he says about existing schools. In particular many secondary schools were built back in the late 1970s and 1980s and we need to consider retrofitting them. I have already raised that issue with my officials and I hope to progress it. Even though we have 42 new schools, many of them were chosen on the basis of demographics. We cannot allow existing school accommodation not to get infrastructure enhancement. The Deputy's suggestion of looking at the economics of a school building in terms of heating and retrofitting is important.
I will pick up on one point, the minor works grant. This is normally paid out in November every year, although it was not paid in one year, 2012, at the bottom of the recession. This year, according to the figures the Minister has produced, it is not likely to be paid and there is a concern the schools will not get it in November, as they have in the past, and that it will be pushed forward to January. While that might only seem a short period to wait, the truth is the Government will not have paid it in 2018 at a time when the economy is rising, and that will make it one of two exceptional years when it has not been paid. It is also the case that schools have come to depend on the minor works grant for cash flow and for planning the school year. They get particular grants of money at different times of the school year and this is one that comes in at a good time, that is, at the end of the calendar year. Is there any way it can be paid out in November? We in Fianna Fáil want to make it a statutory obligation of the Department of Education and Skills to pay it out in November. Will the Minister confirm it will be paid in November or will schools have to wait until January?
It is an issue I have already raised with my officials. The timing is very important. School principals are under enough pressure without delayed funding. I have asked my officials to ensure that money for minor works grants is paid at the end of this year, not in January. If we can do it in November, that will be great, but I cannot commit to that here today. One thing I can commit to is that I want this paid out before Christmas.
