Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 1838: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will increase the grant aid sanctioned for an extension and refurbishment of a primary school (details supplied) in County Limerick in order to bridge the gap between the cost of the project and the grant aid sanctioned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29751/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Small Schools Scheme, a grant of €380,000 was allocated in 2007 to Loughill National School to enable the Board of Management to extend and modernise their school.

The Small Schools Scheme is not intended to leave schools with significant fundraising needs, rather the terms of the Scheme require the schools to tailor the scope of capital works commissioned to the available funding. The decision on whether to continue participating in the scheme or to drop out, if the scope of build is more than the funding envelope permits, is a matter for each school authority.

A central tenet of the devolved scheme is that the school, granted discretion and funding, must equally accept responsibility for prioritisation, adherence to statutory regulations, as well as control of costs and ensuring value for money.

In line with the original intention of the Small Schools Scheme, the Board of Management is required to take the necessary steps to ensure that the scope of the works undertaken matches the funding being allowed and that the school should complete the project within the funding envelope provided.

In the current economic climate and with considerable demands on the capital budget of my Department, it is not possible to approve significant increases in the amounts grant aided to schools. It is the responsibility of the school authorities to manage the resources allocated to them to ensure maximum value for money and to control costs.