Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 482: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the way an application for a secondary school building is given a band rating by his Department; the band ratings and the level of priority each band rating indicates; if applications for secondary school buildings in areas with a growing population are given priority under the band rating system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45984/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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School building projects are selected for inclusion in the School Building and Modernisation Programme on the basis of priority of need.

My Department achieves this by assessing all applications for large scale capital funding against published prioritisation criteria. These criteria were devised following consultation with the Education Partners.

Under the criteria, individual applications are assigned a band rating which reflects both the type of accommodation needed and the extent of any deficit which requires to be addressed. Progress on individual projects is consistent with the assigned band rating. There are four band ratings overall with band 1 being the highest and band 4 the lowest.

Band 1

Band 1 projects address:

The needs of schools in rapidly developing areas.

The provision of specialist accommodation for special needs pupils.

Schools that are structurally unsound.

Rationalisation projects.

Band 2

Band 2 addresses the needs of schools that have a deficit of mainstream accommodation and or require refurbishment.

Band 3

Band 3 addresses the needs of schools that have no deficit of mainstream accommodation but that have a deficit of ancillary accommodation.

Band 4

Band 4 addresses the needs of schools that have desirable but not urgent needs. A new second-level school required for a major developing area would attract a band 1 rating.

I am satisfied that the prioritisation criteria are clear and unambiguous and that they bring an openness and transparency to the School Building and Modernisation Programme.

My Department also publishes the prioritisation criteria attaching to its devolved capital schemes — again to ensure openness and transparency and that funding is targeted at schools most in need.