Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 401: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a site has been selected for a school (details supplied) in County Dublin; the negotiations which have taken place for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22667/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department in relation to site acquisitions generally was requested to source a site for the school referred to by the Deputy. Site proposals have been received by OPW following their recent advertisement for possible site options. These site proposals will now need to be assessed.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 402: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the landbank available in Dublin for school sites in the future; her plans to cater for future schooling needs in Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22668/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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With regard to rapidly developing areas in Dublin, my Department is maximising the use of existing school facilities by providing extensions where site capacity allows along with the provision of new schools on Greenfield sites. This year alone, I authorised six primary school extensions, one post primary extension and six new primary schools to enter architectural planning in Dublin. This level of development is planned to continue with site negotiations at advanced stages for other school projects.

There are two sites in the Dublin area in the ownership of my Department that have yet to be developed. One of these is at Kingswood Heights, Tallaght for a post primary school and the other site is in Rathcoole, Co. Dublin for a primary school. My Department is pursuing an ongoing programme of site acquisitions for school building purposes in many locations throughout the country including the Dublin area. Local Authorities are obliged by statute to refer draft local area development plans to my Department for observation and comment so that lands can be zoned for future education use. There are numerous such sites reserved for education purposes particularly in the rapidly developing areas around Dublin so as to ensure that there will be sufficient land set aside and available for the future development of education infrastructure.