Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 280: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason the proposed amalgamation of schools (details supplied) in County Galway has not been proceeded with; the stage at which the proposed amalgamation of schools is at; if the entire project will be delayed unless the two proposed schools can be built together; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32299/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The schools to which the Deputy refers have agreed to amalgamate into a single boys' and single girls' school. Amalgamation in each case is dependent on the availability of suitable accommodation. In each case a decision has been taken to provide a new school on a new site.

In relation to the girls' school the property management section of the OPW, which acts on behalf of my Department in relation to site acquisitions generally, is continuing to explore the possibility of acquiring a suitable site for this school.

With regard to the boys' school the position is that the trustee has offered to provide a site to accommodate the new school and communications are ongoing with the trustee in regard to site configuration etc. As soon as the site issues are finalised in each case, the building projects required to deliver the appropriate accommodation will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2005-2009. Ideally, both building projects will be progressed at the same time. However, this is dependent on the outcome of the site acquisition process and whether both projects will be ready to progress through the architectural planning process at the same time.