Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 797: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department's school planning and building unit has established a specific task force to address primary school capacity issues in certain areas around the country for September 2008; and if locations (details supplied) in County Cork have been included on a priority list. [34412/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government includes a commitment to establish a Developing Areas Unit in my Department dedicated solely to progressing school planning in rapidly developing areas. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that this Unit has been established. The unit will be solely dedicated to progressing school planning in rapidly developing areas building on improvements that have already been made in school planning in recent years. Staff in the unit will liaise with local authorities, identify where new schools are needed and ensure that they are delivered in the fastest possible timeframe.

As the Deputy will be aware applications for large scale capital funding are assessed against published prioritisation criteria and assigned a Band rating. Progress on individual projects is then considered in the context of the multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme consistent with the assigned Band rating.