Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018
564. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills if matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) will be reviewed; the possible solutions to the issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34346/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the school in question has submitted an application for funding to my Department under the Emergency Works Scheme. My Department has requested additional information from the school and when this has been received and considered, a decision on the application will be conveyed to the school authority.
With regard to the school's application for additional accommodation, my Department's current priority is the provision of essential classroom accommodation to meet demographic need and where an additional teacher appointment is being made to a school. Enrolment levels at the school in question does warrant the appointment of an additional mainstream teacher and my Department was therefore not in a position to consider the school’s application for additional classroom accommodation.
The school’s application for grant under the Summer Works Scheme was unsuccessful as the application did not meet the terms of the Scheme.
The Deputy will be aware that under the National Development Plan (NDP), increased funding has been provided for the school sector capital investment programme. This funding allows for a continued focus on the provision of new permanent school places to keep pace with demographic demand and also provides for an additional focus on the refurbishment of existing school buildings.
Under the Ireland Project 2040, we will invest €8.4 billion (compared to €4.9 billion in the previous decade) in primary and post primary school buildings. This will include the provision of 50 large scale school building projects and 20,000 school places in state of the art new buildings.
The immediate priority of my Department is providing 20,000 new and replacement school places each year, to ensure that every child has a school place. The government will focus in the medium term on the provision of PE facilities in schools and refurbishment of existing school buildings. The needs of the school referred to remains available to be considered in this context.
