Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 816: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if temporary classroom accommodation will be provided to a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary. [11099/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The school in question has been invited to participate in the 2006 permanent accommodation scheme. This scheme is intended to provide a permanent long-term solution to a school's accommodation needs, as opposed to the provision of temporary accommodation. It devolves a guaranteed level of funding to school management authorities and allows them to have control of their projects, assists in moving projects more quickly to tender and construction and can also deliver better value for money.

The permanent accommodation scheme together with the small schools scheme was originally introduced on a pilot basis. The feedback has in general been very positive, the number of schools participating has increased year-on-year and many schools are anxious to be included.

In order to maintain this momentum I have invited 210 schools to participate in these schemes in 2006. These schools have been invited to attend information meetings held by officials from my Department in Tullamore on 20 and 21 March. A school does not have to accept the invitation to participate in a devolved scheme and can instead be considered for inclusion in the mainstream school building programme in line with the project's priority band rating.