Remarks by Batt O'Keeffe, Minister for Education and Science, at the annual conference 2009 of the Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA):

Introduction
I want to thank you first of all for your kind invitation to join you at the AGM of the Catholic Primary School Management Association. I'm genuinely pleased to be here today as it gives me the opportunity to acknowledge the contribution that the CPSMA has made and continues to make to primary education.  This contribution benefits every community, small and large, urban and rural, in every part of the country.

Retirement of Msgr. Dan O'Connor
This past year has been a year of significant and dramatic change for all of us in Ireland and I'll talk to you further on that in a moment. I know that this has also been a year of change within CPSMA. I want to take this opportunity to thank Monsignor Dan O'Connor for his many years of unfailing hard work, dedication and good humour throughout his terms as general secretary of the CPSMA and in his previous role in the Dublin Archdiocese. He can be justifiably proud of his contribution to primary education. I wish Dan well in his new role as Parish Priest in Dun Laoghaire.

Canon Kelly
I also want to pay tribute to the late Canon Frank Kelly who sadly passed away at the start of this year. Canon Kelly gave a lifelong commitment to education, from his early years spent teaching in St. Mel's College, Longford, through to his years chairing the CPSMA. His work within the education sector has been widely and deservedly commended. Throughout the years, he worked untiringly for the good of the education system and made a significant contribution to shaping the system we have today. I've heard many accounts of his skills in resolving difficult situations. And I know he was a mentor and advisor to many over the years as they grappled with the many issues that come up in the management of primary schools. When we met in October last I was impressed by his commitment to and advocacy for Catholic education. He'll be sadly missed by those who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.

Welcome to Eileen Flynn
I want to wish Eileen Flynn well in her new role as successor to Monsignor Dan and in her first AGM of the Association. Since her appointment, Eileen has had little time to settle into the new job and has dealt with many challenges arising from our changed economic circumstances. I appreciate very much the contribution Eileen made in working with my officials on the arrangements for substitution cover. In doing so, Eileen is continuing the tradition of partnership and co-operation that has been a longstanding feature of the relationship between my Department and the CPSMA. I would also like to wish Maria Spring well in the year ahead.

Economic Context
I mentioned at the outset that this past year has been a year of change and this is particularly acute in the unprecedented economic circumstances we are facing as a nation.  I know you will all be aware of the effect on people in your own communities.  It is a very difficult time for everyone. This month's supplementary Budget was one of the most critical budgets in the history of the nation. The Government has taken very difficult, and unpopular, decisions over the last few months in order to start stabilising the public finances and restore international confidence. These decisions were necessary in the national interest - to secure the future prosperity of all our people.

Economic Recovery - Capital Programmes
As part of the Budget package, we're also taking a range of measures to stimulate economic activity. While we had to make some cuts to capital spending, we also need to maintain high levels of capital investment to provide better public facilities, support employment and improve competitiveness.  We're investing over €610 million in school buildings this year. Seventy-eight projects that have been given the go-ahead to go to tender and construction will be proceeding this year.

I'm also making provision for a Summer Works Scheme this year. Eighty million euro will be invested in schools around the country under the scheme. A further €20 million will be spent on energy conservation projects in schools as part of the Summer Works Scheme. All of this major capital investment, in addition to providing better school facilities, will sustain a substantial number of much-needed jobs in the construction sector.

I'm determined to ensure better value for money in the procurement and construction of schools. At all times, but particularly in the current economic difficulties, value for money in the delivery of the Capital Programme is essential to ensure we get maximum benefit for the greatest number of school communities. Tender prices are reducing, by as much as 20 percent in some cases. So we will be able to do more with less.

In addition, I've prioritised a review of rented temporary school accommodation and meetings with suppliers to negotiate reductions in rental costs are ongoing. I'm introducing a new pilot project aimed at replacing rented prefab accommodation with more permanent structures. This project will be targeted at schools that have older rented prefabs and need long-term additional accommodation.

Where temporary accommodation is required for more than three years my Department will offer a school a grant to buy it rather than to rent it. Last summer I introduced a scheme whereby schools can now build a permanent classroom rather than buying a prefab. Over 40 schools have so far opted for that approach.

Recognition of new schools
As you all know, ensuring there is appropriate provision in all areas to meet demographic needs has been and will continue to be a significant challenge. I'm prioritising the development of improved capacity within my Department in the area of forward planning. While substantial work will continue on the immediate delivery of schools building projects, it is also vital that we prepare for medium and longer term needs.

With this in mind I felt it was important that the policies and procedures for establishing new primary schools were reviewed and updated so that they will be appropriate for the significant increase in the number of primary school pupils we expect over the next five to ten years. The group I established to review the procedures for recognising new primary schools has already started its work. I expect that revised arrangements will be in place within a two year timeframe.

In the meantime, it's not proposed to recognise any new primary schools, except in areas where the increases in pupil numbers cannot be catered for in existing schools.

My Department will identify the areas where new schools are required and details will be circulated to all existing patron bodies and it will be open to the CPSMA and others to put themselves forward as patron for these schools.

I want to thank Bishop Leo O'Reilly, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and the local CPSMA schools for their cooperation in facilitating the successful start up of the two new Community National Schools - Scoil Ghráinne and Scoil Choilm. This level of cooperation will enable these schools to establish their place in the community and help to ensure that this model of patronage can operate as a viable alternative in the future.

Conclusion
In conclusion, I want to acknowledge that some of the decisions we have taken will cause real challenges for you in your role as managers of our primary schools. I don't underestimate those challenges. I am asking you, as I've asked all the other education partners, for your co-operation in working through these difficult times. The measures we have taken are a necessary, albeit painful, step towards stabilising the public finances and restoring international confidence in our economy. This is essential to secure our future economic prosperity and ultimately our capacity to deliver public services in the future.

I want to again acknowledge your very valuable contribution to Ireland's social and economic development by providing for the education of the thousands of children who attend your schools. I wish you all well with your AGM and in your work in the year ahead.

Thank you.

Batt O'Keeffe