Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 1363: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if, noting the major difficulty with school places for primary schools that existed in Mullingar in 2005, remedial action has been taken to ease the situation in 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1846/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In 2005, the perceived shortage of primary school places in schools in Mullingar attracted media attention. However, subsequently, there was no indication to my Department that pupils had difficulties in gaining places in September of that year.

Nevertheless, my Department accepts that Mullingar is a developing town and it is taking steps to ensure that its future needs are met in a timely fashion. Under the 2005 school building programme, a number of large-scale building projects were progressed. This involved a combination of extensions, refurbishments and the provision of new school buildings. These projects will be considered for further progression under the 2006 capital programme in the context of the prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects. In addition, an in-depth examination of primary and post-primary infrastructural provision in Mullingar is being carried out in the school planning section of my Department. The findings of this examination will inform the extent and nature of any extra provision to be made.