Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 269: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the steps she will take to put in place an eight teacher school that is required at Curraghmore, Mullingar, County Westmeath to accommodate the pupil numbers in this area; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that four of the classrooms which are of the portacabin or pre-fab type will be rented from September 2006 and that it would be important to advance this project in consultation with all of the stakeholders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18619/06]

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 272: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress made to date by her Department in the provision of a new school at Curraghmore, Mullingar, County Westmeath. [18622/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 269 and 272 together.

The school to which the Deputy refers has applied for a new 8 classroom school. The application has been assessed in accordance with the Department's criteria for prioritisation of largescale projects and has been assigned a Band 2 rating. Progress on the project is being considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme from 2006 onwards. In the meantime, as the Deputy points out, the school has been allocated temporary accommodation to meet its immediate needs.