Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 540: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 727 of 17 June 2008, the status of a school building project at a school (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40756/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, all applications for capital funding are prioritised and advanced incrementally by my Department. This applies to the progression of all preparatory work leading up to the construction phase.

The priority attaching to individual projects is determined by published prioritisation criteria, which were formulated following consultation with the Education Partners. There are four band ratings under these criteria, each of which describes the extent of accommodation required and the urgency attaching to it.

Band 1 is the highest priority rating and Band 4 is the lowest. The project for the school in question carries a Band 2 rating. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

However, in light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the Department and with the level of activity in the School Building Programme, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the further progression of the project at this time. The Deputy will appreciate that the Department must, in the first instance, manage its resources to ensure that the projects which are in the programme are delivered. My Department will be arranging a site visit for the school in question as and when resources allow and when the project is ready to progress through the programme.