Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding plans for the early development of a new school site at Adamstown. [39586/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has reserved three sites for the future provision of educational facilities in the Adamstown strategic development zone. It is planned that at least one of these sites will cater for a multi-school campus arrangement.

The school planning section of my Department has been engaged in discussions with the land owners of the sites concerned for some time regarding the issues of site acquisition and the optimum delivery method for school provision in the area. As a result of these discussions the development of a new primary and post-primary school is included as part of the 23 new post-primary schools and four new primary schools announced on the list of projects to be delivered under the Government's expanded public private partnership programme.

I am conscious that the delivery of educational infrastructure in Adamstown is central to the development of this new town and the school planning section of my Department is working to ensure that schools are provided in accordance with the phasing process set down in the planning scheme for the area.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 91: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has detected obstacles that will prevent schools that were to have commenced construction under the school building programme in 2005 from going ahead; if so, the schools which are affected and the nature of the obstacles; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39654/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Major building projects cannot easily be delivered in a short period of time. A complex range of factors governs the life cycle of any potential building project from design through compliance with the planning process to construction.

New ways such as the devolved building initiatives for small rural schools, the permanent accommodation initiative and the summer works scheme show my Department's commitment to finding innovative and flexible solutions to the difficulties faced by schools seeking to refurbish their buildings or to provide additional accommodation quickly. There is minimal interaction with my Department and schools are fully empowered to drive the design and construction process.

Every effort is made to ensure that projects are got on site as soon as possible. Under the 2004 school building programme 168 major projects were approved to go to tender and construction. A total of 153 of these projects are either under construction or recently completed and a further six projects are due on site early in the new year. The balance of the projects is progressing through architectural planning with a view to getting them to tender and construction as soon as possible.

Under the 2005 school building programme, 124 projects were announced to go to tender and construction over a 15 month period. A total of 24 of these projects are currently on site and a further 15 are due on site early in the new year. The balance of the projects is progressing through architectural planning with a view to getting them to tender and construction as soon as possible.