Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 411: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress on the provision of the necessary additional accommodation capacity for primary students at a school (details supplied) in County Meath; when her Department expects to begin construction of proposed works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22690/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The brief for the building for the school in question is for 12 general classrooms and appropriate ancillary accommodation. The Board of Management of the school have been advised of the approval of Stage 3 of the architectural design and instructed to advise their Design Team to progress the project to the next stage of architectural planning.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 412: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress on her Department's plans for the future provision of post primary schools in Navan, County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22704/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department is in regular communication with officials in Meath County Council in relation to proposed housing developments for Navan and the consequential educational requirements that may be necessary for the future at both primary and post-primary level.

The Navan Development Plan 2003-2009 identified 5 areas in Navan as being suitable for the preparation of Local Area Plans and the Department will be reserving sites at both primary and post-primary level as part of these Local Area Plans.

At present only Local Area Plan No. 3 has been published. The Department is included among the prescribed authorities to whom local authorities are statutorily obliged to send draft development plans or proposed variations to development plans for comment. As a matter of course meetings are arranged with local authorities to establish the location, scale and pace of any major proposed developments and sites are reserved, where necessary, to ensure as far as possible the timely delivery of any required education infrastructure.

At present Navan is served by 4 post-primary schools and one of these was recently approved funding for the provision of two further classrooms to cater for its immediate accommodation needs. The Department will continue to monitor the need for the provision of a further post-primary school in Navan in the future and continue communications, as required, with officials in Meath County Council.