Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 452: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department will purchase land for the provision of a new building for a school (details supplied) in County Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4623/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department's long term plan for Portlaoise is to provide three new post primary schools and to amalgamate and expand primary provision to meet the growing needs of the area. Educational provision at post primary level in the town needed to be addressed first and a new V.E.C. school building has already been delivered. The two other post primary school building projects are due to go on site next year.

Now that the accommodation requirements of the town at post primary level are well on the way to being addressed, it is proposed to deal with the primary school requirements. Approval in principle has been given for five large scale primary building projects in Portlaoise which will improve conditions for the schools concerned and provide much needed extra school places. Two new greenfield site schools will be built to facilitate the amalgamation of Scoil Náisiúnta an Chroí Naofa, St Paul's Primary School and Scoil Náisiúnta Mhuire. The new facilities will be configured as a junior and senior school and they will cater for some 1,600 pupils.

The third project is the extension of Scoil Bride, Knockmay to create a 32 classroom school catering for 800 pupils. The fourth is the extension of The Heath National School which will enable it to cater for 200 pupils. Funding is also being made available to Maryboro National School on a devolved basis to enable the construction of a new three classroom school for 75 pupils. The accommodation needs of the school referred to by the Deputy will be addressed in the context of the overall developments for primary education in the town. However, at this early stage, I am not in a position to say when the project will proceed to construction. My Department will, of course, keep the school informed of developments in relation to the provision of accommodation.