Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 354: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the full inventory of school buildings stock which is due to be developed by late 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32051/09]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 356: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the implementation of a unified data model designed to rationalise, standardise and unify his Department's main data holdings in order to provide a solid foundation to build new systems relating to the school building stock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32053/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 354 and 356 together.

The Department's unified data model is based on three core entities, namely Educational Organisation, Pupil and Staff Member. The Educational Organisation aspect of the model has been implemented and went live in February, 2007. Essentially, the implementation facilitates the recording and maintenance of school details, such as address, in a central location.

Work on planning the development of an Inventory of School Accommodation to be compiled during the 2009/10 school year has been ongoing since early this year and is now well advanced. The detailed functional specification for the Inventory of School Accommodation has now been completed and work is currently underway on the development phase of the project with a view to completion of the implementation phase. The Inventory of School Accommodation, when completed, will provide key data and statistics on the existing school building stock throughout the country.

The methodology currently being developed for the compilation of the Inventory comprises a form to be completed online in respect of each school during the 2009/10 school year. The Inventory form will be appended to the schools' Esinet portal platform. This is a platform for interactive communication between the Department of Education and Science and its partners, customer and clients, including schools. The Inventory of School Accommodation project which will provide schools with the facility to electronically ransmit details of their school building stock, to the Department, will be completed as quickly as possible.