Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 271: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will accelerate the school building programme with a view to ensuring the early provision of adequate accommodation and facilities in permanent buildings for all children attending primary and second level schools throughout the country and keeping in mind the need to follow best international practice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7126/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the National Development Plan there is €4.5 billion assigned to the capital requirements of the Primary and Post-Primary sectors. Just under €600 million will be spent this year on school buildings.

The progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase is considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

The particular emphasis in 2008 is on providing sufficient school places in developing areas, while also showing the Government's commitment to delivering improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary school accommodation throughout the country.

On 1 February, I announced a list of schools which are due to go to construction in 2008. It is also my intention to make a further announcement after Easter to allow a further batch of schools to commence construction and to update progress on the new schools planned for September 2008 delivery in developing areas.