Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 397: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her long term plans to provide additional places in primary schools in Mullingar in view of the expanding population; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22994/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department accepts that Mullingar is a developing town in the medium to long term and is taking a number of steps to ensure that its future needs are met in a timely fashion. First, progress on 13 large scale building projects is being considered under the school building programme from 2005 onwards. This involves a combination of extensions, refurbishments, and the provision of new school buildings.

Second, the extension of the Gaelscoil to 16 classrooms to provide an extra 240 places is being pursued together with the development of the new multi-denominational school to 16 classrooms which will provide an extra 480 pupil places.

Third, a senior Department inspector recently visited all primary schools in the area. His findings are being considered in the context of an in depth analysis of both primary and post-primary infrastructural provision in Mullingar, which is currently being carried out in the school planning section of my Department. The findings of this analysis will inform the extent and nature of any future provision to be made.