Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 593: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she is satisfied with the roll-out of science laboratories for schools; and the number of schools still awaiting facilities. [5697/06]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 594: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when school science laboratories will be brought up to a suitable standard. [5698/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 593 and 594 together.

Capital funding is provided under the school building and modernisation programme 2005-09 for the refurbishment of science laboratories undertaken as part of an overall refurbishment programme of second level schools, for the upgrading of science facilities exclusively or by provision of new facilities in the case of newly built or extended schools. Additionally, I have provided for class materials, basic general equipment and chemicals for practical work for the sciences.

My Department spent in excess of €13 million in 2004 to facilitate the introduction of a revised junior science syllabus. Schools received a basic grant of €3,500 per science laboratory to enable them to provide the new curriculum. Additional funding was made available to schools where other specified equipment was required. In addition, certain schools identified as needing new or refurbished science laboratories as a result of a 1998 national survey received funding.

Funding is also available this year to schools that have yet to apply for the basic grant of €3,500 per science laboratory and for other specified equipment to enable them to provide the new curriculum. Schools also received funding under the summer works scheme in 2004 and 2005 to refurbish science laboratories. In the application for funding under the 2006 summer works scheme post-primary schools were asked to specifically identify and provide details of any science and technology upgrade or refurbishment projects separate from any other projects being applied for in order that consideration could be given to approving these projects for 2006. I approved funding for 26 schools to upgrade or refurbish these facilities in my recently announced summer works scheme for 2006.