Sean Ardagh T.D. - Fianna Fail

Education

Primary Schools
Between 2002 and July 2006, almost €180 million has been spent on improving, building and renovating primary school buildings in Dublin City including:

We have provided a new 11 classroom school- St Brigid’s Convent NS, The Coombe
Scoil Treasa Naofa, Petrie Road - 1 Classroom Extension & Ancillary
Cherry Orchard NS - New 16 Classroom School
Inchicore National School Dublin 10 – Extension
Presentation Convent - 4 Classroom Extension & Refurbishment
Inchicore NS, Sarsfield Rd - 6 Classroom Extension, GP Room & Ancillary

In 2007, 5 schools in the constituency will receive funding to commence extension and modernisation projects. Minister Hanafin said "under the devolved schemes schools manage their own projects in delivering on additional accommodation they themselves have identified as being required. The success of these devolved measures and the willingness of schools to take responsibility for both identifying their need as well as delivering on the project speaks for itself.

The following are the five schools:

St Pius X BNS, Fortfield Park Terenure, D6W
St Pius X GNS, Fortfield Park Terenure, D6W
Presentation N.S. Warrenpoint, D8
Muire Og 2 Loreto Con, Crumlin Rd, D12
St Michael's Spec Sch, Holy Angels, Glenmaroon, Chapelizod, D20

Summer Works

20 schools around the constituency will receive funding to complete essential small scale capital projects under the 2007 Summer Works Scheme. The projects in the schools include gas, electrical and mechanical works, roof replacements and repairs, windows replacement, toilet upgrades, structural improvements and access works. There is also the minimum of disruption for the school community as work is carried out during the summer months.

Meanscoil Iognáid Rís , Long Mile Road , Walkinstown	Science Laboratory
Saint Dominic's Secondary School , Kylemore Road , Ballyfermot	Windows
Loreto College , Crumlin Road , Dublin 12	Replacement of Internal / External Doors
Our Lady Of Mercy Secondary School , Mourne Road , Drimnagh	Access For All
St. Kevins College , Clogher Road , Crumlin	Electrical
Crumlin College Of Further Education , Crumlin Road , Crumlin	Roofs
Kylemore College , Kylemore Road , Ballyfermot	Toilets
Presentation College , Terenure , Dublin 6w	Gas
Chapelizod N S , Chapelizod , Dublin 20	Roofs
St Patricks N S , Chapelizod Village , Chapelizod	Classroom Upgrade
Muire Og 2 Loreto Con , Crumlin Road , Dublin 12	Toilets
Our Lady Assumption Girls N S Baile Uailcin	Windows
Our Lady Assumption Boys N S , Baile Uailcin	Windows
Sn Louise De Marillac , Ballyfermot , Dublin 10	Windows
Our Lady Of Assumption , Baile Uailcin	Windows
St Pius X N S Boys , Fortfield Park , Terenure	Access For All
St Pius X G N S , Fortfield Park , Terenure	Access For All
St Michaels N S , Dominican Convent , Ballyfermot	Roofs
Our Lady Of Wayside N S , Bluebell , Inchicore	Toilets
Scoil Iosagain/Mhuire , Mount La Salle , Ballyfermot	Windows

Secondary Schools
Between 2002 and July 2006 we have spent over €180 million on improving, building and renovating secondary school buildings in Dublin City. These include:

Ballyfermot College of Further Educations, Dublin - Drugs Task Force PE Hall
Inchicore College of Further Education, Emmet Road - Drugs Task Force PE Hall
Pearse College, Crumlin - Drugs Task Force PE Hall
St. Dominic’s SS, Ballyfermot - Refurbishment

Primary School Class Sizes in Dublin City
The average class nationally was 27 in 1996/97 and 24 in 2005/06

	1996/97	2005/06
Average class size	27.4	22.9
Number of pupils in classes 30+	21,410	8,493
% Pupils in classes 30+	46%	20.9%
Number of pupils in classes 35+	5,778	360
% Pupils in classes 35+	12.4%	0.9%

Not only was the average class size in Dublin city well below the national average class size in 2005/06, it was also the eighth lowest of all the counties in the country.
Also, at 0.9%, Dublin city had the fourth lowest proportion of children in classes of 35+ in the country.
From September 2006, there are almost 4,000 more primary teachers in our schools than there were in 2002.
The majority of these have rightly been targeted at providing extra support for children with special needs, those from disadvantaged areas and those who need help with their English.
Now that these priorities have been largely addressed, extra teachers have been provided in the current school year specifically to reduce class sizes in primary schools. The Government is also committed to providing more teachers for this purpose in the 07/08 school year.