Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 228: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a school (details supplied) in County Wexford has exceeded its maximum numbers and has turned students away; the action she will take to allow the students that were turned away to be educated in this school; if these students will be facilitated in the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6177/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The school to which the Deputy refers has made an application under the summer works scheme, SWS, to upgrade existing accommodation on its site to enable it to provide extra classroom accommodation for next September.

All applications under the SWS are currently being assessed in the school planning section of my Department and I will be announcing the successful applicants shortly.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 229: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has received an application from a school (details supplied) for temporary accommodation for September 2005; if her attention has been drawn to a situation at the school; if the required temporary accommodation will be provided in good time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6178/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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An application for temporary accommodation has been received from the school authority to which the Deputy refers. All applications for temporary accommodation for the 2005-06 school year are currently being assessed in the school planning section of my Department. I intend to publish a list of the successful applicants shortly.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 230: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the amount spent on providing new prefabricated buildings at primary and secondary school premises respectively, for 2004; the amount spent on upkeep for existing prefabricated buildings at primary and secondary school premises for 2004; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6179/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department spent €8,745,049.73 on the provision of prefabricated accommodation in primary schools in 2004. Any expenditure incurred in 2004 on the upkeep of existing prefabricated accommodation would have been financed under the minor works grant issued to all recognised primary schools annually.

The minor works grant is issued on the basis of a school allocation amounting to €3,809.21 and a pupil allocation amounting to €12.70. In the post-primary sector, my Department spent €3,997,842.79 on the provision of prefabricated accommodation and a sum of €129,456.92 on the refurbishment of prefabricated accommodation.

Any additional expenditure in 2004 on the upkeep of prefabricated accommodation would have been addressed directly by individual schools as necessary using the maintenance portion of current funding provided by my Department.

My Department is anxious to ensure that prefabricated accommodation is only purchased where absolutely necessary. A permanent accommodation initiative was introduced in 2003 to give 20 primary schools the capacity to provide a permanent solution to their accommodation needs instead of addressing their needs with the use of temporary or prefabricated accommodation. The initiative was expanded in 2004 to include 41 additional primary schools. Increasingly, the focus within my Department is to empower schools to resolve their accommodation needs in a permanent manner rather than relying heavily on temporary accommodation.