Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity of outlining to the House the current position of the Department of Education and Science on the proposed acquisition of a site for Charleville national school, Tullamore, County Offaly. The Minister for Education and Science decided to publish the 2003 schools building programme on the departmental website to give the maximum amount of information concerning the schools' capital investment programme to managers, boards of management, principals, parents, students and all other interested parties.

Before I address the site issue, I advise the Senator that the proposed large-scale building project for Charleville national school is listed in section 6 of the 2003 schools building programme on the Department's website at www.education.ie. The proposed project is at an advanced stage of architectural planning and has been assigned a "band 2" rating by the Department in accordance with the published criteria for prioritising large-scale projects. However, primary school projects listed in sections 6 and 7 are not being authorised to progress beyond their current stage of architectural planning for the time being. The timing of when projects listed in these and other sections can progress to tender and construction will depend on the budgetary allocation for 2004 and subsequent years.