Alan Shatter
Ceist:27 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Education the action, if any, she proposes to take regarding the construction of Knocklyon Community School, Dublin 14 and the site acquired for the school. [1073/94]
Written Answers. - Knocklyon (Dublin 14) Community School.
Liz O'Donnell
Ceist:30 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Education the reason she has decided that the building of a post-primary school in Knocklyon, Dublin 14 would be not be cost efficient; the reason she accepted the recommendations of the Bannon report without first consulting the school committee and local TDs as promised; if she will reconsider the options laid out in the Bannon report in consultation with the school committee and local TDs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1088/94]
Ray Burke
Ceist:31 Mr. R. Burke asked the Minister for Education, in view of the shortage of third level places in the country and the growth of the number of children attending primary and post primary schools in the area, if she will sanction the provision of a third level college in the Fingal area of County Dublin. [1067/94]
I propose taking Questions Nos. 27, 30 and 36 together.
Deputies will be aware of the protracted history of the question of building a post-primary school for the Knocklyon-Scholarstown area. Because of this I commissioned the Service Industries Research Centre of UCD under Dr. Michael Bannon to reassess the post-primary needs of the area.
The report of this independent and expert assessment (popularly known as the Bannon report on Knocklyon) considered that a new post-primary school located in Knocklyon was not warranted.
I have indicated my acceptance of the recommendations in the report and I do not intend to authorise the construction of a post-primary school for Knocklyon.
I arranged for an official from my Department to discuss the feasibility of the implementation of the recommendations with the managements of the schools concerned and they indicated their full co-operation in the matter. I consider that the report's recommendations are the most cost-effective method of ensuring that Knocklyon-Scholarstown pupils have access to post-primary schools within a reasonable distance and a choice of available schools. These recommendations relate mainly to the provision for boys. There are adequate places available for girls in schools in the general area.
Current costings within my Department indicate that implementation of the recommendations contained in the report on extending two of the post-primary schools within a reasonable distance of Knocklyon would cost £1.9 million as opposed to a cost of £4 million for providing a post-primary school for 800 pupils in Knocklyon.
The Deputies will appreciate that where expenditure of public moneys is involved I must have regard to the cost-effectiveness of any particular project in the light of the needs of the pupils in question, the many demands on my Department for capital expenditure and my resolve to take particular account of the needs of areas of most disadvantage.
Dr. Bannon himself carried out the fullest consultation with all interested parties, including the Knocklyon-Ballyboden Post-Primary Committee, before arriving at his conclusions and recommendations. I arranged that copies of the report be sent to TDs and to the post-primary committee before publication. I will make arrangements to meet the Dáil Deputies for the area and the chairman of the post-primary committee.
No decision has yet been taken in regard to the site purchased by my Department some years ago for the provision of a post-primary school in the area.
Because of the shortfall of places for pupils in the Knocklyon-Scholarstown area, I am committed to the immediate implementation of the central recommendations of the report. Planning of the necessary projects will start immediately and the necessary resources required will be made available in 1995.