Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 1259: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the lowest tender available for construction of the additional classroom approved for a school (details supplied) in County Wexford is €150,000; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that the grant of €100,000 from her Department for the purpose of providing this accommodation is therefore inadequate; if the community will raise the balance of funding required to advance this project; if her Department will therefore increase the grant in order that the full cost of the new classroom will be met; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1078/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the expansion of the devolved scheme 2005 for primary school building works a grant of €100,000 was sanctioned to enable the management authorities of the school in question to provide one additional permanent classroom.

The initiative allows boards of management to address their accommodation and building priorities with a guaranteed amount of funding and gives boards of management control of the building project.

My Department does not intend increasing the amount of the grant offered to the school. This is because a central tenet of the devolved scheme is that the school, granted discretion and funding, must equally accept responsibility for prioritisation, adherence to statutory regulations, control of costs, and ensuring value for money.

The intention of the scheme is to provide funding to schools to enable them to undertake wanted building projects. The scheme is not intended to leave schools with significant fundraising needs but for the school to tailor the scope of capital works commissioned to the available funding. The decision on whether to continue participating in the scheme or to drop out, if the scope of build is more than the funding envelope permits, is a matter for each school authority.