Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I am happy to reply on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, who, unfortunately, cannot be present. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects.

Modernising facilities in our existing building stock as well as the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population growth is a significant challenge. The Government has shown a consistent determination to improve the condition of our school buildings and to ensure that the appropriate facilities are in place to enable the implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum. All applications for capital funding are assessed by the Department. The assessment process determines the extent and type of need presenting, based on the demographics of an area, proposed housing developments, condition of buildings, site capacity etc., leading ultimately to an appropriate accommodation solution.

As part of this process, a project is assigned a band rating under published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. These criteria were devised following consultation with the education partners. Projects are selected for inclusion in the school building and modernisation programme on the basis of priority of need. This is reflected in the band rating assigned to a project. In other words, a proposed building project moves through the system commensurate with the band rating assigned to it. There are four band ratings overall, of which band 1 is the highest and band 4 the lowest. Band 1 projects, for example, include the provision of buildings where none currently exists, but there is a high demand for pupil places, while a band 4 project makes provision of desirable, but not necessarily urgent or essential facilities, such as a library or new sports hall.

Due to industrial action on the part of some staff in the Department of Education and Science, I am not in a position to give full details of the school referred to by the Deputy. However, the school's application is listed on the Department of Education and Science website with a band 2 rating. Furthermore, as the Deputy will be aware, on 16 February last, the Minister for Education and Science made an announcement regarding a total of 52 projects which are to proceed to tender and construction. Some 25 of these projects have already secured planning permission and have been approved to proceed to tender and construction this year. The remaining projects have not yet secured planning permission. When they have secured this planning permission, they will then be in a position to prepare their tender documents and proceed to tender and construction, either later this year or in 2011. The project for the school in question was not included in this announcement.

The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction is dependent on the prioritisation of competing demands on the funding available under the Department's capital budget. This project will be considered in the context of the Department's multi-annual school building and modernisation programme. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and wish him luck.

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