Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 767: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position in regard to the provision of classroom facilities and accommodation at a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34342/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The school referred to by the Deputy applied and was approved funding for four extra classrooms under the devolved Permanent Accommodation Scheme for 2007. The alternative to a school participating in a devolved scheme would be to apply for consideration for inclusion in the mainstream school building programme in line with the project's priority band rating. The Permanent Accommodation Scheme (PAS) was originally introduced in 2003 on a pilot basis and was extended to cover more schools in subsequent years.

I increased funding for the PAS in 2006 by an average of 20%. This increase follows-on from an increase of up to 25% in 2005. The feedback has in general been very positive, the number of schools participating has increased year on year and many schools are anxious to be included. In order to maintain this momentum I approved over 140 additional schools to participate in this scheme in 2007. The present position of the project in question is that the architectural planning of the project is progressing satisfactorily and the School Management would expect to go on site in the new year.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 768: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her intentions to respond to the request from the school authorities at a school (details supplied) in County Kildare in respect of the provision of permanent classroom accommodation; the precise deadline in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34343/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The School Board of Management as client on this project are currently in the process of re-appointing a Consultant Architect for this project. On receipt of the recommendation from the Board of Management, it will be examined by the Department and the Schools Board of Management will be kept informed of developments on completion of this examination. Progression of all projects to tender and construction will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 769: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school places available through the various primary and second level schools at Celbridge, County Kildare; her plans to enhance or meet these requirements in full in early date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34344/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. However, I can confirm that in response to the need for additional primary school places in Celbridge, the Department recognised a new primary school which commenced operation this September. The school's initial intake was 79 pupils. The school is located in temporary accommodation, the refurbishment of which was funded by the Department to ensure that it was suitable for school use. Site identification and acquisition procedures are on-going for a permanent home for the school. It is intended that the site will also facilitate the development of a post primary school. The Deputy will probably be aware that under the Area Development Plan for the N4/M4 corridor published by the Commission on School accommodation, provision of a new post primary school for Celbridge is recommended post 2011.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 770: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the plans she has in mind to meet the accommodation requirements at a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34345/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The school to which the Deputy refers to, currently is in the process of preparing a Stage 3 submission (Developed Sketch Scheme). Once a date for receipt of this submission is received, a review meeting will be arranged between the Board of Management along with its Design Team and the Department to evaluate the submission. A pre planning meeting was recently held with Kildare County Council in order to progress the process of being in a position to lodge a full planning application. On completion of this project it is anticipated that the school will contain 16 mainstream classrooms, General Purpose room and ancillary facilities.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 771: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position in regard to the provision of permanent site, accommodation and other facilities for a school (details supplied) in Country Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34346/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The school to which the Deputy refers to has recently had its Stage 3 submission (Developed Sketch Scheme) approved and a letter to this effect was forwarded to the Project Manager with a number of comments to be addressed in the next Stage. It is envisaged that the school will be accommodated in the new Pipers Hill Campus along with the Post Primary School, which is currently being developed. When complete the school will have 16 mainstream classrooms along with ancillary accommodation.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 772: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when she expects to be in a position to meet in full the projected accommodation and other requirements in respect of primary and second level schools at Kilcock, County Kildare; if it is intended that the necessary funding will be provided in 2007; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34347/07]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 773: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department have identified the precise school accommodation requirements for the future both primary and second level, at Leixlip, County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34348/07]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 774: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the discussions she has had with all the relevant school authorities in primary and second level schools in Maynooth, County Kildare with the objective of identifying the precise school place and other facility requirements in the town having regard to current and projected population levels; when she expects these requirements to be met in full; the means by which they will be met; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34349/07]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 777: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she or her Department have had discussions with all of the school authorities, the local authority and the VEC with the object of determining the precise school accommodation requirements for both primary and second level for the town of Naas, County Kildare; her specific plans to address these issues having particular regard to population expansion in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34352/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 772 to 774, inclusive, and 777 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Commission on School Accommodation published an Area Development Plan for the N4/M4 corridor which includes Leixlip, Maynooth and Kilcock. The document which was published following an extensive consultation process with all interested parties sets out the blueprint for capital investment in the areas concerned for the foreseeable future.

Progress on individual projects will be considered under the School Building and Modernisation Programme. In Naas, the Department has already made significant interventions including the provision of 2 new primary schools and the significant expansion of existing post primary schools. The Department is currently working to ensure that there will be sufficient primary places available in 2008 for all eligible pupils and plans are also progressing for a new 1,000 pupil post primary school and for a 16 classroom school for the Gaelscoil.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 775: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the extent of the discussions she has had with the relevant primary and second level school authorities at Clane, County Kildare having particular regard to the need to identify the school accommodation and other requirements in view of the current and projected population increases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34350/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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An application for large scale capital funding has been received from one of the primary schools in Clane and the Department has contacted the other school in relation to its long term requirements. The Department has no application for capital funding at post primary level but it is keeping the situation under review. As the Deputy will be aware, all applications for large scale capital funding are assessed against published prioritisation criteria. Progress on individual projects will be considered in the context of the multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 776: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the extent to which she has had discussions with all the primary and second level school authorities at Celbridge, County Kildare with a view to meeting accommodation and other facilities required arising from the population increase in the area; the timescale for the provision of such facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34351/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In response to the need for additional primary school places in Celbridge, the Department recognised a new primary school which commenced operation this September. The school's initial intake was 79 pupils. The school is located in temporary accommodation, the refurbishment of which was funded by the Department to ensure that it was suitable for school use. Site identification and acquisition procedures are on-going for a permanent home for the school. It is intended that the site will also facilitate the development of a post primary school. The Deputy will probably be aware that under the Area Development Plan for the N4/M4 corridor published by the Commission on School accommodation, provision of a new post primary school for Celbridge is recommended post 2011.