Jim McDaid (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 552: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress which has been made on the application by a school (details supplied) in County Donegal for their proposed extension. [20377/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The proposed extension project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning and is one of the 124 schools that I announced in April of 2005 to progress through the architectural planning process.

An educational worksheet was returned to my Department in December 2005 and following this a schedule of overall accommodation was completed by a member of my Department's Inspectorate. In February of this year my Department's officials visited the School in question and schedules of suggested future use of the existing along with a schedule of residual accommodation were completed.

On the 20th March 2006 a letter issued to the School Authorities with the revised schedules requesting them to get their Design Team to revise the original stage 1 as presented to the Department in October 2001 to reflect the impact of the revised schedules.

When this information is forwarded to my Department, my Officials will be in further contact with the School Authorities as to the next steps involved in progressing this project.

Jim McDaid (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 553: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress which has been made in relation to a school (details supplied) regarding their application for a building extension for the school. [20378/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The school referred to by the Deputy originally applied for an extension and refurbishment to provide for improved ancillary accommodation only and the application did not include proposals for additional mainstream classrooms. Given the then falling rates of enrolment at the school and having regard to competing demands on the building programme the application was at that time afforded a lower priority rating.

As part of a recent re-assessment of the application and having regard to subsequent increasing enrolments, the consequential need for additional mainstream accommodation became apparent. Accordingly, a detailed assessment of recent and projected enrolment trends, demographic trends and housing developments in the area was carried out by my Department in order to ensure that any capital funding provided will deliver accommodation appropriate to the school's need into the future. This assessment has recently been completed and the long-term projected staffing figure, on which future accommodation needs will be based, has been agreed with the school authority.

My Department is now in the process of drawing up a detailed accommodation brief, which may require a site visit, in respect of this school. Following completion of the brief, the project will be considered for the appointment of a design team to carry out architectural planning.

Jim McDaid (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 554: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress to date on the application for a building extension to a school (details supplied) in County Donegal in view of the safety issues at the school. [20379/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the assessment of the school's application for additional accommodation, my officials are carrying out a detailed assessment of demographic trends, housing developments and enrolment trends in the area in order to ensure that any capital funding provided will deliver accommodation appropriate to the school's need into the future. Upon completion of this assessment a decision will be conveyed to the school on how best to provide for the school's long term accommodation needs. The project will then be considered for progression in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2006-2010.