Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 276: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when the extra funding will be made available for a project at a school (details supplied) in County Roscommon. [6872/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the expansion of the Small Schools Scheme a grant was allocated to this school to enable the management authority to build a new three classroom school. Additional funding was subsequently provided for unavoidable extra costs relating to planning conditions and ground works and to provide a fourth classroom.

The school has now applied for a further increase in funding under the scheme. 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.

The 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.

In this instance, having examined the school's latest application for additional funding, and, in light of the large number of projects seeking funding from the budget allocated, further grant aid was refused. The school has submitted an appeal of this decision which will be assessed and the school informed of the outcome in due course.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 277: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary and post primary building projects at stage three within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6938/09]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 278: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary and post primary building projects at stage four within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6939/09]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 279: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the breakdown on a county by county basis of the projects under the school building projects programme that have completed the tender process and are not included in the most recent announcement in respect of the school construction stage for 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6940/09]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 280: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the schools on the schools building programme waiting list, categorised by designated band and project type, including those approved to proceed in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6941/09]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 281: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools within bands one, two, three and four on his list of applications for funding under the school building and modernisation programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6942/09]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 282: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the names of the schools under the school building projects programme that have completed the tender process and are not included in the most recent announcement in respect of the school construction stage for 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6943/09]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 283: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools and details of same on a county basis that have received planning permission for works that they have applied to his Department for funding. [6944/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 277 to 283, inclusive, together.

The stages of architectural planning referred to by the Deputy arise from my Department's design team procedures for the procurement of major capital projects. These are necessary to comply with Department of Finance guidelines which require that capital projects be fully designed prior to going to tender. They also ensure proper cost management of capital projects and facilitate compliance with statutory and public procurement requirements.

At present, there are five stages involved in the delivery of major school projects which reflects the Capital Works Management Framework developed by the Department of Finance.

The stages are as follows:

Stage 1 — Preliminary

Stage 2 — Design (which is divided into Stage 2a — Developed Sketch Scheme and

Stage 2b — Detailed Design)

Stage 3 — Tender Action, Evaluation and Award

Stage 4 — Construction

Stage 5 — Hand-over of Works and Final Account.

There are currently 74 projects at stage 3 (55 at primary and 19 at post primary level) which have been approved to proceed to tender and construction. These projects include the 10 which I announced in January of this year and the 43 which I announced earlier this month. There are currently 28 projects at stage 4 (20 at primary and 8 at post primary level). All schools which had previously completed the tender process have now been approved to either retender or to proceed to construction. There are no schools on my Departments Building Programme which have completed the tender process and which are still awaiting announcement to proceed.

In line with the requirement to ensure that projects are fully designed prior to going to tender, all projects will have secured planning permission before being approved to go to tender.

The information requested by the Deputy in relation to all schools which have applied for inclusion on my Department's school building programme, the respective band ratings for those applications and the number of projects which have already received planning permission is currently being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy when that work is complete.