Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 473: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the crisis of funds at a primary school (details supplied) in County Offaly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4690/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the expansion of the devolved scheme for primary school building works a grant of €350,000 was sanctioned to enable the management authorities of the school in question to provide additional accommodation. The initiative allows boards of management to address their accommodation and building priorities with a guaranteed amount of funding and gives boards of management control of the building project.

My Department does not intend increasing the amount of the grant offered to the school. This is because a central tenet of the devolved scheme is that the school, granted discretion and funding, must equally accept responsibility for prioritisation, control of costs, and ensuring value for money.

The allocation of €350,000 was offered to the board of management. It was open to the board of management to accept or reject this offer. Acceptance of the offer to participate in the initiative was also acceptance of the conditions attaching to the initiative. On the other hand, refusal by the board of management of the grant would have placed the project within the relevant section of the 2004 school building programme.