Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 729: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the provision of a new school building for a school (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10141/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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An application for capital funding towards the provision of a new school building has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. The project is being considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2006-10.

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 730: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the situation regarding a new school request (details supplied). [10144/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Assessment of the accommodation needs of this school and others in the general area is under way in the Department of Education and Science. A decision will be made shortly on the school's long-term requirements and how best these can be provided for. The project will then be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2006-10.

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 731: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the situation regarding a school extension (details supplied); and if the necessary works will be completed to accommodate the needs of a child with spina bifida who will enrol in September 2007. [10145/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I recently announced details of 210 schools which will receive funding for extension and refurbishment works under devolved schemes to enable them to undertake works to address growing accommodation needs. The school referred to by the Deputy has been included in the list of schools to be offered funding under the small school scheme 2006. If the school authority opts to participate in the scheme, it will accept devolved responsibility, authority and funding for the delivery of the accommodation required at the school. The school will have control of the planning and construction phases of the improvement works without the involvement of the Department and the onus will be on the school authority to ensure the timely delivery of the accommodation required to meet its pupils' needs.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 732: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the situation regarding a school (details supplied) in County Donegal; the reason this school was not included in the recent list of schools approved to proceed to architectural planning state for extensions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10161/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I recently announced details of 210 schools which will receive funding for extension and refurbishment works under devolved schemes to enable them to undertake works to address growing accommodation needs. The Deputy will be pleased to hear that the school referred to has been included in the list of schools to be offered funding under the small school scheme 2006.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 733: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the amounts allocated to schools (details supplied) in County Donegal which have been approved to proceed to architectural planning stage for extensions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10162/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The schools to which the Deputy refers were included in my January announcement of 62 large-scale building projects countrywide which have been approved to progress under the school building and modernisation programme. These will be progressed by way of the appointment of a design team under the Department of Education and Science's capital programme for 2006. Unlike projects being progressed by way of one of the devolved initiatives, a precise amount of funding is not allocated to schools whose building projects are being progressed under the traditional method.

The next step in the process is that a technical inspection of the school building will be undertaken by the Department of Education and Science and officials will be in contact with the school authorities in the near future in order to confirm a suitable date for this visit. 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 tender and construction stage is then considered on completion of the architectural planning process.