Update: School Building Programme, 1st July 2015

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to meet to the maximum
extent possible the full requirements as set out in the school building
programme and as reflected in submissions from the various school authorities
at primary and second level throughout the country; the extent to which this
will entail the replacement of existing prefabricated or temporary structures
with permanent buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
– Bernard J. Durkan.

I wish to advise the Deputy that over €2.2 billion in funding is being invested
by my Department under its Five-Year School Capital Investment Plan (2012 €“
2016). Over €1.5 billion of this is being allocated for the funding of major
school building projects. The balance is being used for the additional
accommodation scheme, the prefab replacement initiative, the Emergency Works
Scheme and the acquisition of sites.

The primary focus of the Plan is on meeting demographic demands to ensure that
every child will have access to a physical school place and that our school
system is in a position to cope with increasing pupil numbers. The Plan
contains details of the 275 major school projects that are planned to commence
construction over the duration of the period of the Plan. In addition, arising
from the Government’s stimulus funding package, a further 44 school projects
are also being progressed to construction.

My Department is committed to publishing an annual construction programme. The
current status in relation to the projects contained in the annual programmes
for the four years, 2012, 2013, 2014 and the current year 2015, is published on
my Department’s web-site which is updated regularly. To date, 88 projects
contained in the Five Year Plan have been completed.

Under my Department’s Prefab Replacement Initiatives 2012 and 2013, approval
was given to 217 schools (209 primary and 8 post-primary) nationwide, including
Co. Kildare, to replace 614 prefab units with permanent accommodation. In
excess of €57m has been allocated to these initiatives, of which €46.5m has
been paid to date. Of the 217 projects approved, 168 projects have been
completed and a further 14 projects are on site.

In addition to the prefab replacement initiatives and as part of my
Department’s large scale school building programme, prefab accommodation
continues to be replaced with permanent structures on an on-going basis.