Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 459: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans to provide new and additional accommodation at a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath and if she is in a position to ensure the provision of this much required accommodation in this area which has an expanding population; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23278/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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It is understood that the Deputy is referring to a primary school in Rathwire, County Westmeath. My Department does not have an application for capital funding from this school. However, the Deputy will be aware that recently a new planning model for educational infrastructure was introduced to ensure that, in future, school provision will be decided after a transparent consultation process.

In this regard, trustees, parents, sponsors of prospective schools and all interested parties from a locality will have the opportunity to have their voices heard in the process. The main feature of the new model being introduced initially on a pilot basis in five specific areas is the publication of a draft area development plan which will set out a blueprint for education infrastructure in a particular area into the future.

The components of the draft area development plan are as follows: Details of existing primary and post-primary provision examination of the demographics of the area commentary on the data recommendations for the area into the future. Following publication of each draft area development plan, the Commission on School Accommodation will conduct a public consultation process to which all interested parties can make submissions. All of these submissions will be published. The process in each case will culminate in the publication of a final area development plan against which all capital funding decisions will be made over the next decade.

The needs of the school to which the Deputy refers is being considered through the process outlined above as it forms part of one of the pilot area development plans. The Commission on School Accommodation has completed the public consultation process for this particular plan and it hopes to be in a position to publish its final report shortly.