David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 344: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 153 of 13 March 2008, if her attention has been drawn to the need to supply extra accommodation to schools (details supplied) in County Cork in view of the fact that both schools are currently operating at full capacity and may have to refuse students entry in the next school year; the current enrolment of both schools; the current capacity of both schools; her plans in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12996/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, in 2007 a Developing Areas Unit was set up in my Department to focus on the school accommodation needs of rapidly developing areas including the area to which the Deputy refers. 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 issue of primary and post-primary places in the area in question and the status of these projects in particular are currently being assessed. As is the case of all large capital projects currently on hand within the Developing Areas Unit, progression of these projects will be considered in the context of the multi-annual School Building and Modernisation programme.

The current enrolments of the schools to which the Deputy refers are 540 and 474 respectively and both schools are operating at full capacity. Both schools have applied for additional accommodation to facilitate increased enrolments. Contact has been made with the school authorities in order to arrange the provision of additional temporary accommodation where possible for next September.