The Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin, yesterday revealed details of 23 new primary and two secondary schools which have been approved under the school building and modernisation programme.
These include a new primary school at Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa in Laytown, Co Meath, where junior infants are currently being taught in the school's PE hall, and a 1,000 pupil post-primary school in Donabate, Co Dublin. This had been planned for construction as part of a public-private partnership (PPP) but will now be built directly, due to a new type of agreement with the local council in Fingal.
In total, 80 schools - 72 primary and 8 secondary - have received approval for either works such as new school building projects, extensions or refurbishment works, according to Ms Hanafin.
Details relating to several of the new schools, including the school at Laytown, have previously been announced on an individual basis.
Yesterday's announcement is the first time they have been included in the list of schools approved to start architectural planning for building and modernisation works. Figures for the overall cost of the projects are not yet available.
Ms Hanafin said that many of the projects were addressing the education infrastructure needs of rapidly developing areas. The new schools would be built using methods such as the "standardised design model" or the "design and build process".
There are some 1,300 building and modernisation projects this year, with over €500 million being spent on the primary and post-primary projects throughout the country, she added.
However, Fine Gael education spokeswoman Olwyn Enright TD last night claimed Ms Hanafin had not provided her with detailed information last month when she tabled Dáil questions in relation to the school-building programme. "This approach is scarily reminiscent of what occurred prior to the 2002 general election where Fianna Fáil attempted to utilise the school building fund to maximise political gain. As predicted, the Minister is going to "drip feed" information to the various constituencies on the school building process on the basis of political, rather than educational needs."
The Labour Party spokeswoman on education, Jan O'Sullivan TD, also called for a "complete revamp" of the system for building new schools to avoid the phenomenon of recent years whereby the provision of school places had proved to be "completely inadequate" in fast-growing areas such as Meath, Kildare and west Dublin.
BUILDING AND MODERNISATION: full list
CARLOW: extension/refurbishment - St Mary's College, Knockbeg
CAVAN: Extension - St Killian's NS, Mullagh
CLARE: Extensions - Cratloe NS; Sixmilebridge NS, Ennis; New school - Ennis NS
CORK CITY: Extensions - Padre Pio NS, Churchfield; Cork City Scoil Oilibhéir, Ballyvolane
CORK COUNTY: Extensions - SN Mhuire Gleann An Phreachain, Glenville; Watergrasshill NS; New school - Star of the Sea NS, Passage West
DONEGAL: Extensions - Scoil Choilmcille, Letterkenny; Scoil Naomh Chaitríona, Ballyshannon; St Mary's NS Stranorlar; Glenswilly NS
DUBLIN BELGARD: Extensions - Lucan Community School, Lucan; Scoil Mhuire, Lucan; Archbishop Ryan JNS, Balgaddy; St Thomas NS & Scoil Áine, Lucan; New school - Cheeverstown Special School, Templeogue
DUBLIN CITY: New school - St Michael's House Special School, Rathgar
DUBLIN FINGAL: Extensions - SN Lusca, Lusk; SN Naomh Mhochta, Clonsilla; Scoil Chaitríona NS, Kenure, Rush; St Patrick's junior and senior schools, Corduff, Blanchardstown; St Teresa's NS, Balbriggan; New school - Donabate Community College; St Benedict's Ongar NS; Phibblestown primary
DÚN LAOGHAIRE/ RATHDOWN: Extensions - Sandyford mixed NS, Sandyford Extension; Sr Brigid's GNS, Cabinteely
GALWAY: New schools - Gaelscoil Dara, Galway city; Gaelscoil De hÍde, Oran Mor; Extension - Menlow NS
KERRY: Extension - Spa NS, Tralee
KILDARE: Extensions - Athy Model School; News school - Kill NS, SN Áine Naofa, Ardclough
KILKENNY: Refurbishment - St Brigid's College, Callan; New School (amalgamation) - CBS NS and Callan Convent NS
LAOIS: Extensions - Scoil Phádraig, Ballylinan; Scoil Bhríde NS, Knockmay, Portlaoise; SN Mhuire, Abbeyleix (with autistic unit); New school (amalgamation) - SN An Chroí Naofa, St Paul's NS & SN Mhuire, Portlaoise
LEITRIM: Extension - Lough Allen College, Drumkeerin
LIMERICK COUNTY: Extension - Scoil Chatríona, Cappaghmore
LONGFORD: Extension - Cnoc an Mharcaigh NS (Melview); New school - Forgney NS
LOUTH: New school - Le Chéile Etns, Drogheda
MAYO: Extension - Culleens NS, Knockduff
MEATH: Extensions and refurbishment - SN Cros Bán, Whitecross; Scoil an Spioraid Naofa NS, Laytown; New schools - Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa NS, Laytown; Scoil Eoin NS, Navan; Meath St Paul's NS, Ratoath
OFFALY: New school (amalgamation) - St Cynoc's NS, Ferbane; Extension/refurbishment - Tullamore College, Tullamore
ROSCOMMON: Extension - An Gleann Duibh NS, Kiltoom
SLIGO: New school - Scoil Mhuire & Iosaf NS, Colloney
TIPPERARY: Extension - NR Boher NS (with autism unit); NR Carrig NS; New school (amalgamation) - SR Fethard Convent and Naomh Pádraig NS; SR Cahir boys and girls national schools
WATERFORD: Extensions (amalgamation) - Christ Church NS Lower Newtown; Ferrybank Convent and Scoil Mhuire NS; New school - GS na Déise
WESTMEATH: Extensions - Tyrellspass NS; New school - Athlone CC
WEXFORD: Extension - CBS Wexford (with autistic unit); New school (amalgamation) - Michael St NS, CBS NS and Naomh Iosaf NS, New Ross
WICKLOW: Extension - Carysfort NS (Wicklow).