Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 730: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the provision of a new secondary school in Newport, County Mayo; if an assessment has been carried out; when a decision and announcement will be made regarding whether this school will go ahead; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29092/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Last year a new planning model was introduced for educational infrastructure to ensure that, in future, school provision is decided after a transparent consultation process. In this regard, trustees, parents, sponsors of prospective schools and all interested parties from a locality have the opportunity to have their voices heard in the process.

A draft development plan for Newport and Westport up to 2010 was published by my Department in January 2005. The public consultation process has been completed by the commission on school accommodation on the draft plan for Newport-Westport and it is anticipated that the final area development plan will be published shortly. The plan will provide a blueprint for educational provision in the area for the next decade, against which all capital funding decisions including the provision of a new second level school for Newport, will be made.