David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 558: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the primary schools that have been approved for capital funding to enable replacement, extensions or refurbishments to take place in 2006; the amount approved in respect of each school; the local contribution to be paid in respect of each school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5097/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In 2006, €491 million will be spent on school building projects. This compares with just €92 million in 1997. In its own right, the 2006 allocation represents an increase of over 9% in real terms on the 2005 allocation.

As the Deputy will be aware, at the end of last year I outlined my spending plans for plans for primary and post-primary schools for 2006. With €491 million to be spent on schools buildings, there will be over 1,300 projects active in schools all over the country. This significant investment will allow me to continue to progress our major programme of school building and modernisation which includes improving equipment needed for new technologies and ICT.

I have started to outline individual schools around the country that will benefit under the various parts of the programme throughout the year with the announcement of 62 schools that have been given the go-ahead to start architectural planning and 740 schools which are being given funding under the summer works scheme for essential small-scale projects at a cost of €78 million. I will be announcing details of the other aspects of the programme as we move through the year. Principal features of the 2006 building and modernisation programme include €277 million targeted at primary schools and €204 million in the post-primary sector; almost 200 major school building projects at construction during 2006; 105 primary school projects and 62 post-primary projects advancing in architectural design; and further use of fast-track design solutions for primary schools. It is expected that up to 12 primary schools will be built using a standardised design model or a design and build process. The first school built under this model opened in Balgaddy, Lucan in September 2005, having taken just ten months to build.

Further, up to 200 primary schools will receive approval for devolved funding under the small school and permanent accommodation initiatives during the coming year. This is in addition to the 153 schools that will have projects at construction during 2006 under these initiatives. Small school and permanent accommodation initiatives, which were piloted in the last two years, will become a permanent feature of the building programme. This will enable schools to get works done faster by allowing them to run the projects themselves.

In relation to capital allocations for individual schools, my Department is not in a position to provide estimated costs of building projects in advance of placing a contract as to do so would compromise the tendering process. The following is the position in relation to local contributions.

The local contribution applicable for extensions and renovation works to existing school buildings is 10% of the capital cost up to a maximum contribution of €31,500 or €12,500 in the case of special and disadvantaged schools. The local contribution for new school buildings is 5% of the cost up to a maximum contribution of €63,000 or €12,500 in the case of special and disadvantaged schools. These arrangements have been approved by the Department of Finance and are of a general application. Lists of the 802 schools included in my 2006 capital programme to date are available on my Department's website www.education i.e.