Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 470: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the guidelines and conditions a school must meet when seeking continued recognition under section 3 of additional regulations for the recognition of new schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12869/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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It is not clear to what additional regulations the Deputy refers. Section 10 of the Education Act 1998 provides for the recognition of new schools by the Minister. The application procedure for the process involved was revised in 2002 based on the recommendations in the Commission on School Accommodation's report, Criteria and Procedures for the Recognition of New Primary Schools.

The application procedure involves a number of stages including: formal notification of intention to apply for recognition; public consultation and identification of need; formal application for recognition; assessment of application by the new schools advisory committee — NSAC; consultation with interested parties; reports to Minister; decision by Minister — successful applicants will receive temporary recognition at this stage and; provision for appeal by applicant to an independent appeals committee.

In December 2002 the NSAC was established as part of the process. On receipt of the notifications of intent, the NSAC initiates a public and transparent consultation process and assesses the applications against the published criteria. The NSAC's annual programme of work culminates in a report to the Minister with recommendations on the granting of recognition to applicants.

The following are the criteria for recognition of new primary schools: There must be evidence that the proposed school meets a need that cannot reasonably be met within existing provision; the local community is consulted in advance; the patron has been registered as such by the Minister for Education and Science; a board of management will be appointed in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Education and Science; the rules for national schools will be complied with; the proposed school has a minimum initial enrolment of 17 junior infants and a minimum projected enrolment of 51 pupils for the third year of operation; all pupils are at least four years of age on 30 September of the year in which the school is due to commence operation; in accordance with section 10(2)(e) of the Education Act 1998, proposed interim school accommodation must comply with the Planning and Development Act 2000, the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, the Building Regulations 1991 to 1997, including the Building Control Regulations, and the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2001 and any modifications, statutory instruments or orders made in accordance with these Acts; the school will follow the primary school curriculum of the Department of Education and Science; the school will employ recognised primary school teachers; and a school may apply for permanent recognition when it has complied with all the conditions of temporary recognition.