Seán Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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Question 337: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will report on the need for additional classrooms for a school (details supplied) in County Dublin in view of the current enrolment and the fact that this is a developing school; the position regarding this application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23521/04]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As recently announced, over the remainder of this school year a new school planning model involving published area development plans will be piloted in five areas. Included in the pilot scheme is the north Dublin, south Louth and mid Meath regions which have been identified as rapidly developing areas. The plan for this particular area will include an assessment of the needs of the school referred to by the Deputy.

The purpose of this new approach to school planning is to ensure that, in future, the provision of school infrastructure will be decided only after a transparent consultation process. In this regard, parents, trustees, sponsors of prospective new schools and all interested parties in an area will have the opportunity to have their voices heard in the process. Following the consultation process, individual plans will set out the blueprint for schools' development in an area covering a period of up to ten years.

I am confident that this approach to school planning will provide a mechanism to ensure that capital funding is allocated in both a structured and a clearly identifiable manner into the future. Most importantly, all of the stakeholders in education will have the opportunity of having their voices heard in the process.