I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to discuss this important issue, namely, the need for the Minister for Education and Skills to provide a new community college in Kilbeggan, County Westmeath, or to facilitate the operation of a public private partnership for the project. While I fully welcome the recent opening of the autism unit at the Mercy Convent in Kilbeggan following protracted representations, I recognise the need for a new purpose built school, which was also highlighted by the school's principal and board of management when the Minister visited the school on the day of the official opening. The proposed new Kilbeggan community college is to be built on a 13.5 acre site across from the existing secondary school. The new school is urgently needed owing to overcrowding caused by increased demand for enrolment.

An application for the new school, including a special unit for pupils with autism, was lodged with Westmeath County Council last March. The project, despite its urgency, has been turned down by the Department owing to budgetary constraints. It was also contended that it had not yet been determined what the future needs of the school were. There is absolutely no doubt about such needs on the part of the school and the community in Kilbeggan. The submission to Westmeath County Council included not only an autism unit but a para-education room and a multi-sensory room. The envisaged school would comprise one and two storey elements. The school is also planning for five ball courts, a GAA pitch with three dugouts and a roofed viewing area, an exercise warm-up area and track and field facilities.

The school is suffering from severe overcrowding, as the Minister acknowledged when she visited less than one month ago. There is an increased need to provide a new education facility within the town and a 13.5 acre site is available. While the Department has stated it does not have the money for the project, despite the current underspend in the education budget, there is a viable alternative to complete the building of this much needed school which I would like the Minister of State to take on board.

I am particularly concerned that Sheridan Construction, Mullingar, County Westmeath, is in a position to fund the project and lease the school back to the Department of Education and Skills for 30 years, but it has been told it will have to pay a whopping €30,000 in planning fees. The company which is offering a viable proposal to provide a new school to Kilbeggan is faced with a scenario where its application will not be validated unless it pays these fees. This is outrageous and I would like the Minister of State to look into the matter. It was the company's understanding school projects would be exempt from planning fees. Part 12(157)(1) of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 should provide the necessary exemption. This refusal of an exemption is tantamount to bringing an end to the progression of this valuable educational initiative. Will the Minister consider waiving these excessive fees in the interests of facilitating the construction of this much needed school for the Kilbeggan area?

I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills.

I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the position on the plans of the Department of Education and Skills for post-primary provision in the Kilbeggan catchment area. The area is served by one post-primary school, Meánscoil an Chlochair. This is a co-educational, voluntary secondary Mercy Order facility and has a current enrolment of 381 pupils. The school shares its campus with a primary school.

The school authority has applied to the Department for large-scale capital funding to provide a new building on a greenfield site. Based on a review by the Department's forward planning section, some 550 pupil places will be needed in the area for the long term. In addition, the Commission on School Accommodation published an area development plan for the N4-M4 area and in its report recommended that Meánscoil an Chlochair be relocated to a greenfield site to enable the increase in enrolments from new housing developments in the area to be adequately catered for. Given the projected level of increased demand and the restricted nature of the school's existing site, the Department has decided to proceed with the greenfield site option.

What is intended is the relocation of the existing voluntary secondary school which is under CEIST trusteeship. CEIST is the trustee body for a number of religious orders, including the Mercy Order within whose remit Meánscoil an Chlochair comes. The Department has no plans to establish a further post-primary school in the area, as this is not warranted, or to effect a change of trusteeship or the management model for the existing school. The first issue that must be addressed to facilitate the relocation of the school is the identification and acquisition of a suitable cost effective site. In this regard, CEIST has indicated that it may have a site which can be made available for a new school development. This matter is under discussion with that body. If it decides to retain ownership of the site, the school building project will be delivered by way of the traditional public procurement method. If, on the other hand, the site is transferred to the Department's ownership, consideration can be given to delivering the project using the public private partnership model.

In May 2009 an alternative proposal was brought forward by a delegation from the school and local developers. This proposal involves the private development of an alternative site to provide a new post-primary school building which would then be made available to the Department on a lease-purchase arrangement. The Department is aware that the developers associated with the site lodged a planning application with Westmeath County Council in March for a school on this site. It was not consulted on the design of the building which normally requires the input of a senior educationist and the Department's professional and technical staff to ensure the curriculum can be fully delivered and that the spaces work from an educational and management perspective. It was also not notified of the planning application.

The public procurement and legal issues surrounding this proposal are complex and they preclude the Department from approving it at this time.

The Department still plans to progress a project for the school in accordance with its discussions with the school's owners, and taking account of their preference — which, as the Department understands it, is the development of their own greenfield site.

As to when the project can proceed, this is dependent in the first instance on finalisation of the site issue. Thereafter, the progression of an actual building project will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme. However, due to the level of demand on the Department's capital budget, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of the project at this time.

In the meantime, the Department has provided the school with funding to improve conditions and to provide extra accommodation. Under the summer works scheme for 2009, funding was made available to upgrade some of the electrics, while under the scheme for 2010, funding is being made available to carry out partial roof repairs. Also in 2009, an emergency works grant was provided for roof repairs to the gym. Between 2008 and 2009, significant funding was provided for four extra classrooms and an autistic unit.

On behalf of the Minister, I thank the Deputy again for raising this matter. I hope this clarifies the Department's plans to meet the long-term post primary needs of the Kilbeggan catchment area.