Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 445: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 565 of 7 July 2009, the status of an application in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40039/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm that my Department has received an application for major capital funding, from the school to which the Deputy refers, for the provision of an extension. The application has been assessed and has been assigned a band 2.1 rating under the prioritisation criteria for large scale projects.

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, are 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 the 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.