Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 664: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the degree to which accommodation at a school (details supplied) in County Kildare is sufficient to meet ongoing and long term requirements; if an extension is anticipated; the timeframe involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37524/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 2 rating.

Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major capital works, including the project referred to by the Deputy, is now available on my Department's 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.

The Forward Planning Section of my Department is in the process of identifying the areas where significant additional accommodation will be needed at primary and post-primary levels for future years. Factors under consideration include population growth, demographic trends, current and projected enrolments, recent and planned housing developments and the capacity of existing schools to meet the demand for places.

Having considered these factors, decisions will be taken on the means by which emerging needs will be met within an area, including the area to which the Deputy refers.

In the meantime, it is open to school authorities to apply for temporary accommodation to meet urgent needs for additional accommodation.