Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 566: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when she will review stage three submission in the matter of a school (details supplied) in County Kildare for the provision of extra facilities; her plans to progress this matter in the next six months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5285/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has just recently given devolved approval to the school authority for the project in question to proceed to planning permission, tender and construction.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 567: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the outcome of her Department's information meeting with school authorities in regard to the proposed new school and facilities (details supplied) in County Kildare; her plans to progress this issue in the next six months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5286/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Representatives of the Board of Management of the school to which the Deputy refers attended an Information Seminar in Tullamore on 13 December 2006 hosted by the School Building Section of the Department. The steps necessary to initiate the design phase of the eighty building projects announced by me in November last were discussed at that meeting and all schools were advised that architectural design teams would be appointed to their projects over the coming months. The School Building Section will begin advertising for these design teams shortly through the public procurement portal, www.etenders.gov.ie.

Progression of all projects to tender and construction will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2007-2013. Over €4.8 billion will be provided for school building infrastructure under the new NDP 2007-2013.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 568: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has received stage three submission in relation to a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; her plans to progress this matter in early date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5287/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The stage 3 submission in relation to the building project for the School referred to by the Deputy has not been received in my Department to date. The School referred to by the Deputy was one of the sixty two projects that I announced to start the architectural planning process in January of 2006. The brief for the project consists of a 16 classroom Generic Repeat Design school with an additional bolt-on Special Education Tuition room. A Design Team was appointed on the project in July of this year and, following a briefing seminar in my Department's Offices in Tullamore, the Design Team were instructed to proceed to stage 3 (detailed design with costings) in accordance with my Department's Design Team Procedures.

The stage 3 documentation is now awaited and when this is received in my Department, my Officials will, if necessary, arrange a meeting with the School Authorities and their Design Team in order to evaluate the documentation. Once the stage 3 is approved, the new School building project will proceed, in accordance with the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2007-2013, to advanced design and subsequently to tender and construction. Over €4.8 billion will be provided for school building infrastructure under the new NDP 2007-2013.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 569: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has received a completed assessment exercise from the board of management at a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; when provision of extra facilities will be undertaken; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5288/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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A Design Team was appointed to the project for the School referred to by the Deputy on the 28th November last and the School Authorities were requested to inform their Design Team to prepare a stage 1/2 submission (Outline sketch scheme with costings).

The stage 1/2 documentation is now awaited and when this is received in the Department, 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 2007-2013. Over €4.8 billion will be provided for school building infrastructure under the new NDP 2007-2013.