Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 6: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if, in view of the fact that a site has been assigned to a school (details supplied) in County Mayo, the school will be included on this year's schools building list; when this school can expect to open the doors of it's new building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39360/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Deputy appears to have gone to Mayo. He will be aware, however, from responses to previous parliamentary questions that my Department has been actively pursuing the acquisition of a suitable site for the school referred to and I am pleased to inform the House that the property management section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department regarding site purchase, has agreed the purchase of a suitable site and is awaiting receipt of contracts from the vendor's solicitor.

In the budget last week the Minister for Finance provided €3.908 billion in capital funding for the education sector over the next five years, either through direct funding or for delivery using public-private partnerships. This time last year I set out in overall terms my plans for the year ahead and since then, on a rolling basis, I have provided details of individual schools which would benefit under the various strands of the programme. I am adopting a similar approach this year and I will shortly outline my plans for the year ahead under each element of the schools building and modernisation programme. The Deputy will appreciate that within the overall building programme, the timing of an announcement in procuring the new building for this school will depend on the legal finalisation of the site acquisition.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I address the Minister on behalf of Deputy Cowley. Is she aware that a particular difficulty arises with regard to the school in question in that the current site must be vacated by 30 June 2006? The school, which has 183 pupils and nine teachers, was given temporary recognition in 1996. In the absence of receipt of confirmation that a permanent site will be available, the school has nowhere to go. If we wait until the schools building programme is announced, the school will not meet the deadline imposed on it.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Obviously we must wait until the site is legally tied down. The first priority for Deputy Cowley was to ensure we secured a site, a process which has been under way for some time. I am pleased to note a site has been identified and the only remaining issue is the exchange of contracts. Once this has been finalised, it will be possible to consider moving the school.