Education Update in Dublin West Constituency

• This Government’s continued prioritisation of education is evidenced from our investment in 2010 of almost €9billion, treble what it was in 1997.
• €579 million was invested in the School Building Programme for 2010. Despite severe pressure on the exchequer finances, €400million will be invested in the 2011 Schools Building Programme.
• In 2010, 267 schools throughout Dublin benefitted from the Summer Works Scheme on which construction has commenced this week.
• More than €1 billion has been provided in capital funding for school building and modernisation projects in Dublin between 2002 an 2009.

School Buildings

• More than €1billion has been provided in capital funding for school building and modernisation projects in Dublin between 2002 and 2009.

Primary

Post-Primary

2011 National School Building Programme

School building programme - projects where briefs will be formulated in 2011 and the process of appointing a design team will commence

2010

• Gaelscoil Barra Cabra - New School
• Luttrellstown Community College - new school

To progress to secure planning permission and with a view to preparing tender documents for 2011 or 2012

• Mulhuddart National School - new school
• Scoil Bhride Girls NS Blanchardstown - new school
• Scoil Bhride Boys NS Blanchardstown - new school
• Mary Mother of Hope Primary School Castaheany - exten refurb
• Thornleigh Educate Together Swords - Exten Refurb
• Holywell ET Swords - new school

To complete tender documents and expected to tender in 2011

• Stanhope St Convent Dublin - new school
• Castleknock Community College - exten refurb

At tender stage 2011

• St Brigids NS Castleknock - exten refurb
• Tyrrelstown ET - New school

Projects in construction 2011

• Gaelscoil Bhrian Boroimhe - new school
• Swords ET - new school
• Pobail Scoil Setanta Phibblestown - new school (1st Board Meeting here last week in Brand New Building)

Primary Schools 2010

• The site for Tyrellstown Educate Together and Mulhuddart National School has been recently acquired by the Department of Education, while a project manager has been appointed to oversee the delivery of the project.
• A master plan has been developed for the site and negotiations have concluded between Fingal County Council, the Department or Education and local landowners. Construction is due to start shortly.

Primary Projects in Dublin proceeding in 2009 to Tender and Construction

• SN Naomh Mochta National School, Clonsilla - Extension/refurbishment (School Authorities have been engaging with local residents and public representatives. I will push for the school’s objectives on this issue.)

New Schools

• Castleknock ETNS, Beechpark
• Mary Mother of Hope NS

Primary Schools completed 2006-2008

• Castaheany Educate Together Ns, Ongar, Dublin 15 2008
• Tyrrelstown Educate Together 2008, Correction; Tyrrelstown school is yet to be finished but has passed all Department of Educaton, Fingal County Council and local landowner negotiations. Work is expected in the near future and delivery of a permanent school facility within the year 2011.
• Scoil Choilm, Diswellstown, Porterstown 2008
• Scoil Ghrainne Community NS, Phibblestown
• Castlenock ETNS, Beechpark 2007
• Mary Mother of Hope NS 2007
• St.Patrick’s NS, Diswellstown 2006

Schools Business Partnership

• In January 2010 it was announced that fifty seven schools in Dublin would be twinned with fifty two locally based companies giving their students the business edge to help them develop their careers when they enter the workforce.
• Local schools Blakestown Community School and Riversdale Community College are taking part in this innovative, Government-backed Schools Business Partnership programme by twinning themselves with the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown and IBM Ireland respectively.
• The Schools Business Partnership plan aims to develop links between schools and local businesses in supporting inclusion in education.

Third Level

• €359 million will be invested in research and innovation under the Government’s Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions (PRTLI) which invests in physical infrastructure and research projects in our higher education institutions.
• Under Cycle 5 of the programme, the Government will invest €296.1 million, with €62.6 million coming from private non-Exchequer sources.
• PRTLI Cycle 5 will run between 2011 and 2016 - the period of the revised capital programme.
• Overall provision to the third level sector amounted to some €1.5billion in 2004, €1.9billion in 2007 and €2billion in 2008 and 2009. This compares to an investment of €850million in 1997, an increase of 135%.
• Total spend on higher education increased by an average of 10% per annum over the 10 years to 2008 (compared to a European average of 3%).
• We have transformed the research landscape in higher education, with the establishment of the programme for research in third level institutions, PRTLI, Science Foundation Ireland and the two research councils.
• Between 1998 and 2009 €865million has been allocated to the PRTLI. To date, the PRTLI has funded the establishment of 30 centres, 99,000m2 of research facilities and 5,800 researcher spaces.
• Our education system ranks among the best in the world. According to the IMD World Competitiveness Report 2010 we were Rated 16^th out of 58 in terms of education.

Science Foundation Ireland:

• Science Foundation Ireland was established in 2000 before being set up on a statutory basis in 2003.
• It provides awards to support scientists and engineers working in the fields of science and engineering that underpin biotechnology, information and communications technology and sustainable energy and energy-efficient technologies.

Centres for Science, Engineering and Technology:

• SFI supports 6 Centres for Science, Engineering and Technology in Dublin.

1.     The Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructure & Nanodevice (CRANN) at Trinity College Dublin TCD established in 2003.

2.     Centre for Telecommunications Value-Chain-Driven Research (CTVR) Trinity College Dublin , TCD established in 2004.

3.     Biomedical Diagnostic Institute (BDI), DCU established  in October 2005

4.     Next Generation Localisation (CNGL), DCU established in 2007.

5.     Systems Biology Ireland, UCD established  in 2009

6.     CLARITY, UCD  established in 2008.

SFI Strategic Research Clusters

• SFI also supports 10 Strategic Research Clusters - groups of researchers addressing topics of strategic importance for Ireland.

1.     Reproductive Biology Research Cluster, UCD was founded in 2007 with major funding from SFI.

2.     Advanced Biomimetics for Solar Energy Conversion, UCD was launched in February 2009.

3.      BioNanoInteract, UCD

4.      The Irish Drug Delivery Research Network (IDDN), UCD

5.     Clique SRC UCD

6.     Financial Mathematics Computation Cluster (FMC2) UCD

7.      Immunology Research Centre (IRC), TCD

8.      Irish Separation Science Cluster, DCU

9.     Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer Ireland (MTCI), DCU)

10.                         Precision, DCU

Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown, (ITB)

Funding on Capital Projects at Blanchardstown IT since 2000

Major Capital Projects provided from the above exchequer funding include:

Phase 1 - Teaching Block and Student Services - €45.251m

• This project comprised of 3 buildings, the Apprentice Building, the Student Services Building and the Main Teaching block, which is broken into three wings.
• It was fully completed in 2003.

Advance Building - €5.357m

• This building was initially provided to cater for students at ITB until the Phase 1 project was completed.
• However, due to the growth in student numbers, the accommodation is still required.

Learning and Innovation Centre - €6.316m

• This building was initially planned as temporary accommodation for apprentices who had not by that point moved into the Apprentice building.
• ITB’s long term goal for this building if to convert it into an Innovation Centre when there is no longer a requirement for a temporary apprentice facility.

Devolved Grant - €2.353m

Site Acquisition - €8.159m

• This funding was provided to purchase the complete site for ITB’s campus.

Road Infrastructure - €1.646m

• This project developed the road network and access point to ITB’s campus.

Apprentice Building - €3.571m

• This project involved the installation of a dust extract system and the realignment of rooms to facilitate additional intake of apprentices and maximise the effective use of the building.
• It reached practical completion in 2007.

Research Facility Enhancement Scheme - €0.161m

• In 2008, ITB was awarded funding under this scheme.
• Its purpose was to address deficits and enhance research infrastructure at the Institute.

Research Equipment - €0.050m

• In 2007, ITB was awarded funding under this scheme to ensure the provision of state of art equipment for its researchers.

Equipment - €6.498m

Apprentices Revised Curriculum - €0.415m

• ITB was awarded this funding for the implementation of a revised apprentices curriculum in 2007.

Infrastructure Works - €1.033m

Other Minor Capital Works - €1.423m

Research at ITB

• As part of ITB’s strategic plan 2006-2011 “Making Education Accessible” ITB recognizes that one of its core activities is Research and has established itself as a significant member of the research community within the third level education sector in Ireland since it opened in 1999.

Since it opened in 1999 funding has been secured from:

• the Technological Sector Postgraduate R&D Skills Training Programme
• Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Partnership scheme where the Institute has teamed up with local companies to conduct R&D to improve processes and procedures
• Enterprise Ireland’s Proof Of Concept funding which allows the development of a possible commercial activity
• Enterprise Ireland’s Research Equipment grant
• the Embark Initiative
• the Higher Education Authority including the Resarch Funding Enhancement Scheme
• Leonardo Da Vinci programs

• In 2008 Enterprise Ireland announced an allocation of €50 million to boost regional economic development. The funding was to be delivered through Blanchardstown IT and the 13 other Institutes of Technology in Ireland.