James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 1142: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the status of a school building project (details supplied) in Co Longford ; if approval and funding will be given as a mater of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33347/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I am pleased to inform the Deputy that plans are well in train to re-locate the school to which he refers to alternative and more suitable accommodation. The planning and Building Unit of my Department is working closely with the school authority to ensure that the transfer to this accommodation is as smooth as possible.

With regard to the school's application for a new building, this, in common with all such applications, has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned an appropriate band rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major capital works, including the project in question, are now available on my Departments website at www.education.ie.

The priority attaching to individual projects is determined by published prioritisation criteria, which were formulated following consultation with the Education Partners. There are four band ratings under these criteria, each of which describes the extent of accommodation required and the urgency attaching to it. Band 1 is the highest priority rating and Band 4 is the lowest. Documents explaining the band rating system are also available on my Department's website.

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.