Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Question 485: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the extension of a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36432/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I refer to my reply to Question No. 549 on 1 November 2006. The position remains the same.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 486: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when the Department team will meet the schools team to advance the planning and design of the necessary extension at a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36433/06]

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 last year to progress through the architectural planning process.

Following an increase in the long-term projected enrolments at the school, my Department's officials visited the school in question in September of this year and completed revised schedules of accommodation to take account of the increased enrolments.

In October of this year, the school authorities were requested to forward a Stage 2 submission (developed sketch scheme with costings) to my Department.

When the stage 2 submission is received in my Department, my Officials will arrange a meeting with the School Authorities and the Design Team in order to evaluate the documentation. It is envisaged that unless there are very exceptional circumstances involved, the meeting will be sufficient to authorise the project to progress to the next stages of architectural planning.

Progression of the project to tender and construction will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2006-2010.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm that the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers has applied for capital funding under the Department's Permanent Accommodation Scheme for 2007.

I will be publishing the list of successful applicants when all applications have been assessed.

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 488: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has received an application from a school (details supplied) to construct a new school building and entrance; her position on this project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36474/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The proposed refurbishment and extension project for the school referred to by the deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning.

A Design Team was appointed on the project in July of this year and following a project briefing meeting the Design Team were instructed to prepare a stage 1, 2 submission (site suitability/sketch scheme). Part of the Design Team's brief at Stage 1, 2 is to carry out an Options Appraisal to identify the preferred re-development solution, i.e. to extend and refurbish the range of existing school buildings on site, or to demolish some/all of the existing accommodation with the possibility of building a completely new school.

When the complete stage 1, 2 submission is received in my Department, my Officials will arrange a meeting with the School's Design Team in order to evaluate the documentation. It is envisaged that unless there are very exceptional circumstances involved, the meeting will be sufficient to authorise the project to progress to the next stage of architectural planning.

A decision on which school building projects will advance to tender and construction will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2006-2010.