Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 635: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position of the application for an extension and refurbishment at a school (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will approve the appropriate work without further delay. [25515/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The school referred to by the Deputy declined an offer of funding made under the Small Schools Scheme 2006 to provide appropriate accommodation for a four teacher school on the basis that it could not deliver the required accommodation within the grant approved. The school authority also raised the need to review its long term projected staffing for which accommodation is required as it had indications that the school population is set to increase in the medium to long term.

A re-assessment of the school's projected enrolment and long term projected staffing has been initiated in my Department. This assessment will take into account of all the relevant factors such as current and projected enrolment, demographic trends and the likely impact of ongoing and proposed housing developments in the area.

When this has been finalised, a decision on how best to provide for the school's long term needs will be taken. The building project required to deliver on the school's accommodation needs will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2006-2010.