Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 2 Dec 2003

Vol. 576 No. 1

Written Answers. - Schools Building Projects.

Jan O'Sullivan

Ceist:

209 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science the action he proposes to take to resolve the urgent need for a new school to replace the sub-standard buildings of Ennis national school, County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29285/03]

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

The timing of when the proposed building project for Ennis national school may progress to architectural planning is dependent on the financial allocation for 2004 and subsequent years, the rate of progress of existing projects in architectural planning and the priority afforded to each project by reference to the published criteria for prioritising large-scale building projects.

As an interim measure, significant grant aid has been provided to alleviate accommodation difficulties at Ennis national school. In 2001 grant aid was provided for air conditioning in a computer room and for the purchase of eight temporary classrooms and in June 2002 the Department authorised grant aid of more than €200,000 to fund health and safety works.

The position in relation to public private partnership, PPP, projects is that under EU rules, where projects are financed on a deferred payment basis by the private sector, such as PPP projects, the capital value of such projects is a charge on the general Government balance, GGB, during the construction phase. The GGB is the critical measure of what can be accommodated within our obligations under the Stability and Growth Pact of the Maastricht Treaty. A EUROSTAT group is reviewing the accounting rules on this issue as is a standing committee established by my colleague, the Minister for Finance, to advise on the GGB implications of private sector financed projects.

The position remains that consideration of PPP projects will be based on a thorough assessment of affordability of such projects in the context of the competing demands on the likely capital funding envelopes going forward and taking into account the issues surrounding the general Government balance.