Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 269: To ask the Minister for Education and Science, with regard to the long promised extension to a college (details supplied) in County Cork, when agreement was reached with the officials, architects and technical staff of her Department that the college needed an extension of 1,600 sq. m.; when her Department offered a schedule of residual accommodation and when it was agreed and accepted by the Cork County Vocational Educational Committee; the date of appointment of a design team to initiate the architectural planning of the extension; the reason the formal arrangements for the appointment of the design team have not been put in place; the reason the long term accommodation needs of the school are being again examined as referred to in Question No. 337 of 8 February 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6206/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The need for an extension at the school referred to by the Deputy is acknowledged by my Department. While preparatory work on the school's application progressed, a design team was not appointed. The school's long-term accommodation needs are now being reviewed to ensure that the project planned for the school will meet the existing and anticipated needs of pupils in the area.

Since 2003 my Department has prioritised applications for major capital investment in accordance with the published criteria for prioritising large scale capital projects which was put in place following consultations with the education partners. This application, which pre-dated the introduction of the criteria, has been assessed in accordance with those criteria and has been assigned a band rating. Progression of the project will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2006-10.