John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 502: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the status of a school building programme at a school (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if the matter will be expedited. [2758/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The school in question was listed in my announcement of March 2005 as a project to start the architectural planning process.

A design team was appointed in June 2005 and my Department wrote to the school authorities in July 2005 outlining the scope of works and giving approval to prepare a stage 1-2 submission — developed sketch scheme with costings. My officials have been in contact with the school authorities and they indicated that the stage 1-2 submission will be forwarded to my Department by the end of January 2006. When this submission is received and reviewed, my officials will be in further contact with the school authorities as to the next steps involved in progressing this project.

Progression of projects to construction will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2006-09.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 503: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the full design team has been appointed for the construction of a new school for a school (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; when a planning application will be made for the project to the local authority; the reason for the delay; and if the matter will be expedited. [2759/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The school referred to by the Deputy was listed among the 43 schools I announced in March of 2005 to start architectural planning. The brief is for a new 16 classroom school. Apart from the civil structural engineer, whom my Department hopes to have appointed in the near future, all other design team members have been appointed. The architectural service for this project is being dealt with in-house by the school building section and substantial works on the early stages of the design process have already been completed.

The school authorities wrote to my Department in December 2005 requesting amendments to the brief and this is currently being examined by my officials. When this is completed, my Department will be in further contact with the school authorities as to the next step required to progress the project. It is not possible at this point to indicate when the architectural planning process will be completed. There are five stages in this process and the timeframe for completing these stages is contingent on various factors including any unexpected issues that may arise, the period of time for the granting of planning permission, and obtaining a fire certificate etc.

Progression of projects to construction will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2006-09.