Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 228: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the extent to which she has identified and addressed the issue of the poor quality and general standard of accommodation at a number of primary and post-primary schools throughout the country; her plans to address this issue in the near future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22120/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am satisfied that existing school infrastructure has been dramatically improved in recent years. During the period of the last National Development Plan 2000-2006 my Department accelerated the school building programme with record levels of investment and the streamlining of delivery systems. An aggregate total of well over €2.6 billion was invested in upgrading existing school infrastructure and providing new school accommodation at both first and second-level. This programme delivered over 7,800 building projects in addition to investment in site purchases; the annual minor works grant to all primary schools, science and technology initiatives, contingency works and grants for the purchase of furniture and equipment including improving equipment needed for new technologies and ICT.

Innovations in the delivery of school buildings such as Generic Repeat Designs and the use of the Design and Build model ensure that new school buildings are delivered in the fastest time-frame possible. My Department also adopted a policy of devolving much greater authority to local school management boards to manage and deliver smaller building projects, thereby freeing my Department to concentrate on the larger scale projects.

My Department has improved forward planning through greater cooperation between the Department of Education and Local Authorities and the publication of 10-year Area Development Plans.

The budget for 2007 is the first year of the roll out of the new NDP which will involve an investment of over €4.5 billion in school building infrastructure over the coming years to ensure that school places are available where needed. This investment will be the largest in the history of the State and will enable my Department to continue to take a proactive approach to the provision of modern school accommodation particularly in developing areas and the upgrade of existing accommodation. This year alone around over €540 million will be spent on school building infrastructure with over 1,500 projects on my Department's school building programme. Construction in 2007 alone will deliver over 700 classrooms to provide permanent accommodation for over 17,500 pupils, mainly in developing areas.

The main focus of the school building programme is to deliver additional capacity in the rapidly developing areas. It is projected that 100,000 additional school places will be required over the coming years, with over 10,000 extra children entering our schools each year. I am conscious of the need to provide more school places quickly and these are being delivered.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 229: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position in regard to the full requirement in terms of accommodation and facilities at a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; her future plans in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22121/07]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 236: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position in relation to an application for major capital funding by the management authority of a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; if she expects to be in a position to respond favourably to this request in the near future; the expected time frame for implementation of funding for this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22128/07]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 241: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position in relation to an application for major capital funding for a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22133/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 229, 236 and 241 together.

I can confirm to the Deputy that the Department is in receipt of applications for large scale capital funding from the schools to which he refers. The projects have been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. Progress on the proposed works is being considered in the context of the multi-annual School Building and Modernisation programme.