Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 173: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when her Department will advance the long standing commitment in respect of a proposal to redevelop a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary, which received a commitment in 1999 that such a project would be advanced in view of the amalgamation of a number of schools at that time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4304/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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An application for an extension has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. The building project required to meet the school's accommodation needs will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 174: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when her Department proposes to proceed to tender and construction stage of the proposed extension to a school (details supplied) in County Galway; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this project has been at the planning stage for the past nine years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4307/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I announced recently a list of schools which are due to go to construction in 2008. My Department will be in contact with the school authorities over the next number of days to advise on the most appropriate preparation schedule applicable on each project.

The school to which the Deputy refers is not included in that announcement. However, I intend to make further announcements regarding projects that will be proceeding to construction during the course of the year as the school building programme is rolled out. The next announcement will occur after Easter.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 175: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has entered into an agreement or has had discussions with any partner in education who may have an interest in being a school patron for the purposes of the proposed new primary school in Tallaght, Dublin 24 (details supplied); if an agreement, tentative or otherwise has been entered into with such a partner at this stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4323/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware the Department has lodged a planning application for the provision of an 8 classroom primary school building on the site to which the Deputy refers which can be activated at short notice if and when required.

The action which the Department is taking in Tallaght is indicative of the proactive approach which it is taking on a nationwide basis to ensure that there will be sufficient accommodation available into the future as further planned housing developments come on stream.

The Department is aware that there is sufficient primary school provision in the Tallaght area for the immediate future but it is charged with looking beyond that to ensure that all eligible pupils have a place to go to school. In that context the Department has no plans in the immediate future to provide the accommodation on the site. Accordingly, there is currently no agreement with any school patron to establish a school on this site.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 176: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the application for the provision of an extension to a school (details supplied) in County Louth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4345/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department recently received an updated application for large scale capital funding from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers.

The updated application is currently being assessed. When this has been completed, the project will be assigned a Band rating under the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and progress on the project will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 177: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 1039 of 30 January 2008 regarding the provision of a new school at the Aston Village area, Drogheda, County Louth, the reason a general purpose room for indoor physical education activities and outdoor play areas will not be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4346/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy was informed previously, the Department is installing 8 classrooms and ancillary accommodation initially in the Aston Village area of Drogheda to enable a new school to open next September. The Department does not routinely provide a General Purpose room in this scenario. This will be provided in the course of expanding the school to a 24 classroom facility which is planned for the succeeding year.

In the meantime, the full extent of accommodation being provided for next September is unlikely to be required for classroom purposes so that a vacant classroom can be used for indoor physical education activities. Interim outdoor play areas will be provided.