Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason more than €1 million has been spent on renting prefabs at a school (details supplied) in County Waterford over the past ten years despite the fact that this school could have had its major building project completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44357/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The school to which the Deputy refers was given approval to rent temporary accommodation while awaiting a new school building. The original project brief for the school was for a refurbishment and extension consisting of six additional mainstream classrooms and appropriate ancillary accommodation to cater for a long term projected enrolment of a Principal and 16 mainstream class teachers. This project proceeded to architectural design, based on the project brief as above.

In 2005, my Department reviewed the long term projected enrolment for the school. Reviews of this nature are essential for all proposed projects in order to ensure that what is being designed continues to meet the long-term needs of the school and such reviews are in accordance with Department of Finance Guidelines for the Appraisal and Management of Capital Expenditure Proposals in the Public Sector. Having considered all options, my Department recommended that the brief for the project be changed from 6 additional classrooms and appropriate ancillary accommodation to a new 24 classroom school at the rear of the existing site.

The proposed project to provide the new school is in architectural planning and is currently at the detailed design stage of the planning process. Because of competing demands on the capital budget of my Department, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of this project at this time.