Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 270: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress that has been made in the past three months on works at a school (details supplied); if an individual in her Department has been assigned responsibility to steer through this project; the critical steps in terms of specification of works, tendering, selection of contractor, completion of works and so on; the target dates for each; and when the Gaelscoil can move. [36850/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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A technical site visit of the proposed school premises for the Gaelscoil to which the Deputy refers was recently carried out by the Department and a technical report is currently being compiled. As soon as the technical report has been examined, the Department will be in contact with the Boards of Management of all the schools concerned regarding the next steps towards advancement of the project.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 271: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the status of the application for capital funding for major capital works for a school (details supplied) in County Wexford; and when a decision will be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36851/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm that the Department is in receipt of an application for major capital works from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects and has been assigned a Band 2 rating. Progress on the proposed works will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme from 2007 onwards.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 272: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the status of the building programme for a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; if the school will be allowed to proceed to stage two of the building programme; the expected timescale of the building project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36854/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The building project for the School referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning and is one of the forty schools that I announced in April of this year to go to tender and construction.

A full Design Team has been appointed to bring the proposed building project through the various stages of architectural planning.

In April of this year a letter issued to the VEC Authorities giving approval to carry out a draft stage 2 (Outline sketch scheme with costings) submission. This draft submission was received in my Department on the 28th September last and, following a review of the submission, a letter issued to VEC Authorities on the 27th October with comments and giving approval to prepare a full stage 2 submission taking on board the comments raised in the letter.

When the complete stage 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.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 273: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a design team has been appointed for the required extension to a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and the status of the architectural planning phase. [36863/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The process of appointing a design team to the proposed building project at the school referred to by the Deputy has commenced.

On behalf of the Client (the School Board of Management) my School Building Section published the advertisement seeking the relevant consultancy services on the public procurement portal, www.etenders.gov.ie, on 15 August last. The closing date for receipt of expressions of interest under this EU procurement process was 12 noon on Monday 9th October 2006 and all submissions were returned to the Board of Management, in order for them to conduct the assessment of those submissions.

As soon as the Board of Management has completed the assessment exercise, and the School Building Section has ratified their recommendations, the architectural planning phase of the project will begin.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 274: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the stage three submission of a school (details supplied) in County Kildare has been received; and when this project will go to tender. [36864/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The stage 3 submission for the School referred to by the Deputy has not been received in my Department. The Board of Management as client should liaise with their Design Team to get an estimated date for the completion and delivery of the stage 3 to my Department.

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.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 275: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the outline sketch scheme of a school (details supplied) in County Kildare has been received; and when this project will go to tender. [36865/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The outline sketch scheme for the School referred to by the Deputy has not been received in my Department.

In September of this year a letter issued to the School Authorities and the Consultant Architects on the project giving approval to carry out the combined stage 1/2 (Outline sketch scheme with costings ) submission. When this information is received in my Department, my Department will be in further contact with the school Authorities and the Design Team as to how best to further progress this project.

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.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 276: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if, in view of her recent repeated comments in relation to fast tracking the building of a school (details supplied) in County Kildare, she will direct her planning section to lodge a planning application for the school in advance of the transfer of the site to her Department. [36867/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The acquisition of a site is the first key step in the delivery of new school projects. The Department has streamlined the design phase for such buildings and uses various innovative methods such as Generic Repeat Designs or Design and Build contracts as mechanisms to enable new schools to progress to planning permission and construction within the shortest possible timeframe. It is intended that the school to which the Deputy refers will be delivered using one or other of these methods.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 277: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason a design team has not been appointed for a school (details supplied) in County Kildare, in view of the fact that the contract documents for the site for the new school were signed on 3 July 2006. [36869/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As I indicated when publishing the various strands of the Department's Capital Programme for 2006, I intend to move through the School Building and Modernisation Programme in a planned way over the next five years. This is possible with the availability of a €3.9 billion multi-annual capital funding envelope (primary, post-primary and third level) over that period to underpin a continuous programme of modernising school buildings.

The Deputy will appreciate that this investment must continue to be targeted using the published prioritisation criteria. Details of projects to move forward under the programme will be published as and when they are ready to be advanced in the context of capital expenditure requirements.