Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputies for raising this matter, as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the Department of Education and Science's capital programme of works for 2008 and the current position regarding the building project for the Holy Rosary national school, Old Court Avenue, Tallaght, Dublin 24.

School building projects are selected for inclusion in the school building and modernisation programme on the basis of the priority of need presenting. This is reflected in the band rating assigned to individual projects under the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects drawn up following consultation with the education partners. A band rating is assigned to a project when it is being assessed by the modernisation and policy unit of the Department. Progress on individual projects is consistent with that band rating. There are four band ratings in all, with band one being the highest and band four the lowest.

As the Deputies will probably be aware, almost €600 million in public funding is being provided for school buildings this year. This will enable the completion of work on 67 large-scale primary schools projects that will deliver 7,000 additional permanent school places in new schools and 2,300 additional permanent school places in existing schools.

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