Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 441: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress in relation to procurement of a suitable site for a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary. [18961/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The School Planning Section of the Department is in receipt of an application from the school to which the Deputy refers for major capital works. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and was assigned a band 2 rating.

The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of the Department in relation to site acquisitions generally, was requested to explore the possibility of acquiring a site for the school in question. Following an advertisement seeking proposals in relation to possible sites a number of responses were received. Six sites have been visited and their technical suitability as a location for the school was considered.

Following this process, a site on the existing Tipperary Rural and Business Institute (TRBDI) campus emerged as the preferred option. This site is in the ownership of the Institute.

The TRBDI, however, has proposed to the Department that its campus be relocated to a large-scale technology park. Expressions of Interest were sought by TRBDI from the private sector to determine what exactly could be provided at the technology park in exchange for the Institute's current property in Clonmel.

The Expressions of Interest sought required the incorporation of a suitable site for the school on the current campus or on an alternative site approved by the Department and the Office of Public Works. The Expressions of Interest received by TRBDI have been evaluated and detailed negotiations are being entered into with the company that has submitted the tender provisionally identified as being the most advantageous.

While this process is reasonably well advanced, I appreciate that it is taking longer than expected. Given the urgency of the schools' needs the Department will seek alternative site options in Clonmel, with a view to acquiring a site before the end of the year.

Funding is available for the purchase of the site as part of the record provision of €4.5 billion for school buildings in the National Development Plan.

I assure you that the Government will do all that we can to have a site for the school by the end of 2007 and that the project will then be progressed in the context of the multi annual school building and modernisation programme.