School Accommodation.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 May 2006

Tuesday, 16 May 2006

Ceisteanna (414, 415, 416)

Damien English

Ceist:

475 Mr. English asked the Minister for Education and Science the amount spent on the provision of temporary school buildings over the past three years; and the breakdown on a county basis. [17984/06]

Damien English

Ceist:

476 Mr. English asked the Minister for Education and Science the amount spent on temporary school buildings in Dublin 15 in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17985/06]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Science (Ms Hanafin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 475 and 476 together.

The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in the format in which it has been sought. If the Deputy is interested in obtaining details of temporary accommodation at any specific school, I will be glad to assist him on receipt of the name and address of the school.

With regard to the area as a whole, I am conscious that Dublin 15 is one of the most rapidly developing areas in the country and, as a result, there has been a marked increase in the demand for primary school places. My Department is taking a number of measures to increase the capacity of existing schools in the area concerned along with the development of new schools to meet this growing demand. All building projects arising from these interventions are awarded a band 1 priority rating under my Departments prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects to ensure that they are delivered as expeditiously as possible.

In the Littlepace/Castaheaney area a new school building has recently been completed at Mary Mother of Hope National School, with an additional project underway with a target delivery date of September 2007. In addition a new primary school campus is planned for a school site in Ongar which will have a minimum of 32 classrooms. Part of this project will provide a permanent accommodation solution for Castaheaney Educate Together National School which has agreed to increase its junior infant intake by one extra class grouping this year. This project also has a target completion date of September, 2007.

This particular area is also served by the Sacred Heart National School Huntstown where an extension project to provide a 32-classroom school is nearing completion. In the Diswellstown area, St. Patrick's National School has recently moved into a new 24-classroom school. This will facilitate an annual 3 stream intake. However, as an exceptional matter the Board of Management has agreed to take a fourth stream of Junior infants this year. In addition to this, the Board of Management of St. Mochta's National School, which currently has an intake of 3 junior infant classes, has agreed to enrol a fourth Junior Infant class for September 2006. An extension project to cater for this development will also attract a Band 1 priority rating.

Other developments in the Dublin 15 area include the planned expansion of St. Brigid's National School in Castleknock and extensions to St. Brigid's Boys and Girls National Schools, Blanchardstown. In addition, a new Educate Together school opened in Tyrrelstown in September 2005. My Department has approved the provision of six additional classrooms for September 2006 to cater for new enrolments and Special Education Teachers. It is anticipated that this school will enrol three junior infant classes.

I am confident that the measures outlined will assist in alleviating the immediate demand for pupil places in the area. However, due to the current level of demand emanating from the Dublin 15 area, the need to provide even further school accommodation is under consideration and my Department is engaging with the key school Patron authorities that are active in the area in this regard.

In the five-year period to the end of 2005, a total of €75,590,037 was expended on the purchase of temporary accommodation for primary and second level schools across the country. The annualised details are as in the following tables.

Year	Permanent Accommodation Scheme	Funding Allocated	Small Schools Scheme	Funding Allocated	Total Schools	Funding
		€m		€m	40	€m
2003	20	2.6	20	5	40	7.6
2004	41	6.3	50	14.2	91	20.5
2005	74	14.5	97	30	171	44.5
2006	75	19	135	74	210	93

Year	Total Capital Expenditure at Primary & Post Primary Level	Expenditure on Temp Accommodation	Temp Accom as a % of total Capital Expenditure
2001	317,685,928	9,108,090	2.87
2002	344,134,813	21,463,576	6.24
2003	326,961,430	25,838,453	7.90
2004	333,119,761	12,711,802	3.82
2005	501,261,866	6,468,116	1.29

Damien English

Ceist:

477 Mr. English asked the Minister for Education and Science if she has made an assessment of the projected demand for primary and secondary school places in the Castleknock area over the next five years; the measures she intends to take to extend existing schools; the measures she intends to take to provide new schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17986/06]

Minister for Education and Science (Ms Hanafin)

My Department is continually monitoring the situation regarding demand for primary and post primary schools in the Dublin 15 area as a whole, including Castleknock. Officials from School Planning Section of my Department are in regular contact with the Planning Department of Fingal County Council and receive regular updates on housing completions, planning applications, potential infill etc.

My Department is included among the prescribed authorities to whom local authorities are statutorily obliged to send draft development plans or proposed variations to development plans for comment. As a matter of course meetings are arranged with local authorities to establish the location, scale and pace of any major proposed developments and their possible implications for school provision.

Officials in the School Planning Section of my Department are strengthening contacts with local authorities to enable informed decisions to be made in planning future educational provision. For example, a specific forum, the Dublin School Planning Committee, chaired by officials of my Department, interacts with the Dublin local authorities. This forum comprises representatives of the local authorities in Dublin together with representatives of the Patron bodies of primary schools and works proactively in monitoring demographic changes and their likely impact.

My Department is taking a number of measures to increase the capacity of existing schools in the area concerned along with the development of new schools to meet this growing demand. All building projects arising from these interventions are awarded a band 1 priority rating under my Departments prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects to ensure that they are delivered as expeditiously as possible.

A number of building projects are underway or planned for the Castleknock area. A major project to build a 16 classroom school for Castleknock Educate Together N.S. is underway and a project to build a 4-classroom extension and ancillary accommodation at St. Thomas the Apostle N.S., Laurel Lodge is at Stage 3 of architectural planning.

Castleknock NS was listed under the devolved Permanent Accommodation Scheme for the provision of 3 classrooms and special education rooms. Other developments in the area include the planned expansion of St. Brigid's National School in Castleknock. I am confident that these measures will ensure sufficient primary school places for the short to medium term.

At post primary level students have increased mobility and a large number from the Castleknock area travel outside of their immediate vicinity to other schools. I am confident that there are sufficient post primary places available both within the immediate area or within a short commuting distance to cater for demand.

In spite of the significant school building programme being carried out in the Castleknock area, I am conscious that there is also significant housing development continuing and, the need to make further provision at primary and post primary level in addition to that outlined above is being kept under continuous review by my Department.