Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to this House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and also to outline the current position with regard to the Athlone Community College building project.

As the Deputy may be aware, a developing areas unit was set up recently in my Department to focus on the school accommodation needs of rapidly developing areas. The main emphasis in 2008 is on providing sufficient school places in these developing areas as well as delivering improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary school accommodation throughout the country. The developing areas unit has identified Athlone as an area of rapid development. In this regard, a decision has already been taken to replace and expand the existing Athlone Community College. The new building will cater for 1,000 pupils. This project has advanced to the point where schedules of accommodation have been drawn up. These were issued for observations to the VEC and its response in this regard is being considered by the Department's senior building inspector.

While I am not in a position to give a timetable for the commencement of this particular project, I will reiterate that the need for a new school building for the school in question is acknowledged by my Department. Once the schedules of accommodation have been finalised and agreed, the building project required to deliver the new school building will be considered in the context of the multi-annual school building and modernisation programme.

I thank the Deputy once again for affording me the opportunity to outline to the House the current position on Athlone Community College.

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