A total of 32 schools around the country are to receive some €30 million additional funding for building projects, the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, has announced. The extra funding was announced last December as part of Budget 2004.
It will mean that over 200 schools are now authorised to go to tender and construction during 2004 under the school building programme, according to the Department of Education.
Seventeen primary and 15 post-primary schools in Dublin, Cork, Wexford, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Louth, Meath, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary North and Westmeath will receive funding for a variety of projects.
These range from the construction of an entirely new school, to the extension and refurbishment of existing buildings. According to a Department spokeswoman, no school had received favourable treatment when being considered for inclusion on the list.
Schools were selected on the basis of their "band" rating, she said, which uses a set of pre-determined criteria to assess the priority to be afforded to a project before it proceeds to architectural planning.
Included among the schools are Muckross Park College, which last month had to shut down for three days after a burst pipe flooded the school.
The school's deputy principal, Ms Anne McDermott, said yesterday they were "absolutely delighted" at the news that they were to receive their new school building.
However, it was unclear last night whether the college's proposal for a new school building would be accepted in full.
The Department of Education spokeswoman said she was unable to provide details of individual projects, as some had still to go to tender.
However, she did confirm that there was scope for projects to carry over to the next year.
"I presume it will get going pretty quickly," said Ms McDermott. "I would expect that we will be getting the school we've drawn up the plans for."
Six of the schools involved will receive funding for "modular accommodation" under the plan.
This was described by the Department spokeswoman as "high-quality demountable temporary accommodation."
Mr Dan Toole, principal of Dunshaughlin Community College in Meath, is one of those whose schools will be receiving this type of building.
"We are infinitely more pleased that we are getting modular rather than prefabricated buildings," he said.
"Although we would much prefer a bricks and mortar building."
Teachers representatives last night welcomed Mr Dempsey's announcement, while emphasising that much work remains to be done. Mr John Carr, general secretary of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, said that for the 17 primary schools on the list it would mean the end of a long struggle to have decent accommodation.
"For too long the dominant image of primary education has been substandard schools," he said. "We acknowledge the efforts of the Minister in this regard. But there are many schools where there will be no progress during the next year. Not all of these problems have been solved today."
Mr Derek Dunne of the Teachers Union of Ireland also welcomed the additional funding.
However, he expressed disappointment that some schools which were experiencing poor conditions had not been included in the list.
"Schools should not have to compete in a league of structural dilapidation before being considered for development," he said.