Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

That is true but it also applies in respect of other counties. In regard to the school building for Ballybunion, planning permission, a fire certificate and the tender report for the project are being examined by the Department's building unit. This will lead to the provision of a new two storey, eight classroom generic repeat design school. As the Deputy might be aware, generic repeat design is an efficient method of speedily delivering top quality schools because it means we do not have to go through all the usual processes of design and architectural planning.

We are spending €540 million this year and nearly €600 million next year on school buildings. This school, the planning process for which is well under way, will be considered in the context of the multi-annual school building and modernisation programme. I intend to announce in January the first tranche of projects which will go to construction in 2008 and there will be further announcements during the year as the school building programme is rolled out.

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