Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 May 2005
422 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the serious overcrowding at the primary schools of Portlaoise; the applications she has for the provision of extra accommodation in the town; the stage each of these applications is at on the building programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15275/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra423 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the serious overcrowding at the post-primary schools of Portlaoise; the applications she has for the provision of extra accommodation in the town; the stage each of these applications is at on the building programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15276/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 422 and 423 together.
The Deputy will be aware that a facilitator, Dr. Tom McCarthy, was appointed to assist in the development of a long-term plan for the provision of primary and post-primary school accommodation in the Portlaoise area.
Following receipt of Dr. McCarthy's recommendations, it was decided that educational provision at post-primary level required to be addressed as a matter of urgency. This matter has reached finality with the decision to provide three new post-primary schools in Portlaoise, one of which, the new VEC school, has recently been completed.
A site has been purchased for the development of the other two schools referred to, a single-sex girls school and a single-sex boys school. These schools, each of which will cater for 850 pupils, will occupy the site on a shared campus basis. Progress on these projects is being considered in the context of the schools building programme from 2005 onwards.
With regard to primary infrastructure, there are currently six primary schools and two special schools serving Portlaoise. These include four Catholic schools, one Church of Ireland school and one Gaelscoil. The McCarthy report recommends a reconfiguration of three of the Catholic schools into two coeducational schools with development of the remaining schools to cater for the future demand.
Officials in the school planning section of my Department are now examining this matter with a view to establishing the best way forward. In the meantime, progress on applications for capital funding from individual schools in the area will be considered in the context of the McCarthy report and the published criteria for prioritising large-scale projects.
