Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 67: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the extent to which it is expected to progress the school building and refurbishment programme at primary and second level in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2990/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I recently announced details of 122 major school building projects that will progress to tender and construction over the next 12 to 15 months. My Department's building unit arranged a general information meeting for these schools to guide them through the process involved in moving projects to tender and construction. The meetings took place on 31 January and 1 February in Tullamore and all schools were invited to attend.

I am anxious to ensure that a consistent flow of projects to tender and construction can be sustained into the future. I plan to make a number of announcements in the near future in regard to the schools building and modernisation programme including: details of schools identified as suitable for construction under public private partnerships; an expansion of the number of schools that will be invited to deliver their building projects on the basis of devolved funding; details of schools with projects approved under the 2005 summer works scheme; schools whose projects will further progress through the design process; and schools that will be authorised to commence architectural planning.