Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 775: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will provide funding for a new school (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11861/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware a Developing Areas Unit was set up recently in my Department to focus on the school accommodation needs of rapidly developing areas including the area to which the Deputy refers to. The main emphasis in 2008 is on providing sufficient school places in these developing areas, as well as delivering improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary school accommodation throughout the country.

In this context, the status of this project is currently being assessed. As is the case of all large capital projects currently on hand within the Developing Areas Unit, progression of the project will be considered in the context of the multi-annual School Building and Modernisation programme.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 776: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the necessity of having a new school to replace a school (details supplied) in County Galway; if her attention has further been drawn to the overcrowding in classrooms, the fact that the principal has no office, the teachers have no staffroom, there is only one staff toilet, and that the board of management have raised funds to purchase extra land to ensure that there is sufficient space for the new building; when it is proposed to approve this project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11876/08]

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 referred to by the Deputy. An assessment of the projected enrolment trends, demographic trends and the housing developments in the area will be required to determine the long term projected staffing figure on which the school's accommodation needs will be based. The school building project will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

In the interim the school authority applied for the provision of temporary accommodation for September 2008 and the application was successful.