Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 335: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if works on a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary will be progressed in the 2008 building programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7644/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The commencement and progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including this project, will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. Officials will be in contact with the school authorities when the Department is in a position to authorise further progress of this project.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 336: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary will be progressed in the 2008 building programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7645/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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This extension/refurbishment project is at an early stage of architectural planning. The further progression of all large scale capital projects, including this project, will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation programme.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 337: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary will be progressed in the 2008 building programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7646/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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This project is at an early stage of architectural planning. The further progression of all large scale capital projects, including this project, will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation programme.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 338: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a project for a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary will be progressed in the emergency works scheme as a health and safety issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7647/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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An application for capital funding towards the provision of additional accommodation has been received from the school authority. All applications for large scale capital funding, including the application in question, are assessed against published prioritisation criteria and assigned a band rating.

Progress on all projects will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 339: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a project for a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary will be progressed in the emergency works scheme as a health and safety issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7648/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the expansion of the Small Schools Scheme, a grant was sanctioned in March 2007 to enable the Board of Management of the school in question to extend and refurbish their school. The initiative allows Boards of Management to address their accommodation and building priorities with a guaranteed amount of funding and gives Boards of Management control of the building project. The school authorities have received planning permission for their project and are at tender stage at present.

Niall Collins (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 340: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress on a project (details supplied) in County Limerick. [7663/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The school referred by the Deputy is one of six schools that make up the Second Bundle of the Department's current Public Private Partnership Programme. This bundle consists of Bantry Community College, Kildare Town Community School, Athboy Community School, Wicklow Town Community College, Gaelscoil Bheanntraí and the school in question.

Work on the preparation of Output Specifications and the Public Services Benchmark (PSB) is nearing completion. Outline planning permission has been obtained for five of the six schools and a notification of a decision to grant outline permission has been received in respect of the sixth school. It is envisaged that this second bundle will be handed over to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) shortly to commence the procurement process.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 341: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the status of an application for capital grant aid for major capital works by a school (details supplied) in County Clare; if her Department will facilitate a meeting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7705/08]

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 351: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when she envisages the appointment of a design team for the major capital works for national schools in relation to a school (details supplied) in County Clare; the time-frame for carrying out the works applied for under this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7902/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 341 and 351 together.

An application for capital funding towards the provision of an extension at the school to which the Deputy refers has been received in my Department. The long term accommodation needs of the school has been determined and notified to the school authority. The commencement and progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including this project, will be considered on an on-going basis 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 342: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if urgent consideration can or will be given to an application by a school (details supplied) in County Kildare under the building programme and summer works plans; when she will progress this issue in view of the critical situation facing the college; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7708/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The progression of all large scale building projects, including the project for the school in question, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. 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 further announcements of projects to progress to tender and construction during the course of the year as the school building programme is rolled out.

The Summer Works Scheme was introduced in 2004. Since then, over 3,000 projects costing in excess of €300 million have been completed. Considerable extra investment has been provided in the Budget to increase funding for school buildings to almost €600 million this year. With so many small projects having been completed over the past few years, I am focusing on delivering as many large scale projects as possible in 2008. There is not, therefore, a new Summer Works Scheme as part of our building programme this year.