Niall Collins (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 378: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason an application for funding from the dormant accounts fund for a school (details supplied) in County Donegal was refused. [10138/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Among the priority funding measures approved for support in 2006/2007 under the Educational Disadvantage category of the Dormant Account Fund and the RAPID Leverage Fund, was a scheme addressing educational infrastructure in disadvantaged schools. Eligibility for the scheme was restricted to primary and post primary schools participating in my Department's DEIS programme; schools in, or serving, RAPID areas; and special schools. The scheme consists of four measures and a number of sub-measures. The four measures are: (1) Outdoor Play Facilities; (2) Libraries; (3) Parent Rooms; and (4) Dining Areas. Eligible schools were allowed to submit prioritised proposals under each of the measures. Proposals were sought in respect of improvements to existing facilities ('enhancements' or 'non new-builds') and the development of new facilities ('new-builds').

A total of €20.5m, (€14.5m from the Dormant Accounts and €6m from the RAPID Leverage Fund, which is administered by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs), has been made available to fund the scheme. The scheme was launched on 16th January 2007, with a closing date for applications of 1st March 2007. The scheme was very heavily over-subscribed with 2,271 individual project proposals submitted for funding. The total amount of grant aid sought greatly exceeded the funding available under the scheme.

In light of the very large number of project proposals received and the level of oversubscription the Dormant Accounts Fund Inter-departmental Committee Educational Disadvantage recommended that arrangements should be made to transfer some 300 new-build proposals, including the one referred to by the Deputy, to the Department's Planning and Building Unit for consideration for funding in the context of the Department's overall Schools Building and Modernisation Programme and available resources. Accordingly, these new build proposals have been transferred to the Planning and Building Unit. However, given the number of proposals and the scale of the Modernisation Programme assessing these applications will take some considerable time.