Education: Replacement Building in Kildare 23rd January 2013

Minister Ruairí Quinn

I am proposing to take questions 277, 283 and 284 together.

Information in respect of the current status of all assessed applications for
major capital works, including applications for capital works at primary and
post primary schools in County Kildare is available on my Department’s website
at www.education.ie, which is updated regularly throughout the year.

The 5 Year Construction Plan that I announced on 9 March 2012 last, outlines
the major school projects that will commence construction over the duration of
the Plan.     Details of these projects are also contained on the website. The
primary aim at the core of the Five Year Plan is focussed 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.    
 
In addition, under my Department’s Prefab Replacement Initiative announced in
March 2012 over 170 schools have been approved to replace their rented prefab
accommodation with permanent accommodation. In excess of €42 million has been
allocated for this initiative of which €15.6 million was paid in 2012. This
funding is being provided to schools to replace rented prefabs that are
currently providing mainstream classroom and resource rooms for an estimated
6,000 pupils. In total 286 mainstream classrooms currently in rented prefabs
will receive permanent buildings.

School building projects currently in architectural planning, including those
projects not included in the five year programme, will continue to be advanced
incrementally over time within the context of the funding available. Projects
that are at application stage can only be considered for advancement in the
context of the demographic challenges set out above.