Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 79: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will confirm that following a directive (details supplied), relating to the capital programme for 2009, that no new contracts for school buildings will be agreed in 2009; and the percentage of the capital budget for school building in 2009 within his Department which remains uncommitted. [14872/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department, like all Departments, was instructed that no further contractual commitments in respect of Exchequer capital expenditure could be entered into without the approval of the Department of Finance. The Department of Finance requests on a quarterly basis a composite application for those capital expenditure items that my Department wishes to enter into. The first such application has already been submitted and covers the period to the end of June.

Where sanction is urgently needed before submitting a quarterly proposal, a separate submission can be made to the Department of Finance on an exceptional basis. My Department has already availed of this facility and on 12 March 2009 received sanction for eight large scale building projects. Since then contractual commitments have been entered into on six of these large scale projects.

Just over 30% of the 2009 capital allocation of €613.8 million for the Primary and Post-Primary sectors is contractually committed to date. As quarterly requests for approval are submitted to the Department of Finance, this process will allow the remaining part of the 2009 capital allocation to be contractually committed. As in the case of the eight projects for which my Department received approval last month and of which six are now contractually committed, likewise, when approval of the quarterly applications is received contractual commitments will be entered into as projects are deemed ready to commence.

Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 80: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will confirm that active consideration is being given in his Department to the need to fund the building programme of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14874/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. 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, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of the project at this time.