Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 1438: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the waiting list at present in each second level school in County Louth for new entrants to post primary education; the number of places each such school will be allocating to such students for September 2007; if her Department will be allocating extra resources to such schools where it is now anticipated that there will not be adequate places to meet the demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1018/07]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 1439: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the waiting list at present in each primary school in County Louth for new entrants to primary education; the number of places each such school will be allocating to such students for September 2007; if her Department will be allocating extra resources to such schools where it is now anticipated that there will not be adequate places to meet the demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1019/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1438 and 1439 together.

Data in relation to waiting lists and the allocation of school places is a matter for the Boards of Management of individual schools.

Any school can apply to the Department for additional accommodation to meet its needs. There are a number of ways in which this can be done. For example, schools were recently invited to apply for capital funding under the Department's Permanent Accommodation Scheme for 2007 to address shortages of accommodation for enrolment increases from 2007/08. Details of successful applications will be published shortly.

Schools can also submit an application for capital funding under the Department's large scale Capital Building Programme to cater for long term accommodation needs. All such applications are assessed in the context of the existing and projected demographics of an area.

In addition, where an immediate need for additional accommodation exists, Boards of Management can apply for the provision of temporary rented accommodation.

The application forms for all of these approaches are available on the Department's website www.education.ie.

Last week, the Department published its Draft Area Development Plan for school accommodation needs for the North Dublin, East Meath and South Louth area.

The Draft Plan examines current school provision against projected population growths using, among other sources, local authority area development plans. It makes recommendations on the extent of additional accommodation needed to meet the long term needs of the areas concerned. The Draft Plan will show that a significant amount of work is already going on in all the areas concerned including south Louth. A public consultation process will now be conducted on the Draft Plan by the Commission on School Accommodation. The Draft Plan is also available on the Department's website.