Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 274: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason members of the staff of her building unit at Tullamore, County Offaly will not meet the board of management and parents representatives of a school (details supplied) in County Galway, in view of the fact that there is overcrowding in the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19974/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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An application for capital funding towards the provision of an extension to provide additional classroom and ancillary accommodation has been received from the school. The project, as will all other applications for school development work, is assessed in accordance with the prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects which, as the Deputy will be aware, was published following consultation with the Education Partners.

My Department is currently examining enrolment and demographic trends in the area in order to determine the long-term projected staffing figure on which the school's long-term accommodation needs will be based. When this examination is complete a decision will be taken on how best to meet the school's long-term needs and any building project required will be progressed in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2006-2010.

My officials have recently received a request for a meeting from the Board of Management. Upon completion of the aforementioned assessment process my Department will be in further contact with the school authorities in relation to their application and their request for a meeting.

I would also like to take this opportunity to advise the Deputy that this school also applied under the Additional Accommodation Scheme 2006. The school authority were notified in March 2006 that my Department was prepared to approve the rental of two mainstream classrooms as the school authority were using their General Purpose room to accommodate these classes. The Form of Acceptance from the school is currently awaited in my Department.