Mary O'Rourke (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 466: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding a school (details supplied) in County Longford; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that part of the school has been condemned because of the asbestos roof. [40292/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Officials from my Department has been in contact with the Health & Safety Unit of the Office of Public Works who administrate the Primary & Post Primary Asbestos Remediation Programme on behalf of my Department.

The most recent asbestos surveys of this school were carried out in April and November 2005. Pursuant to these reviews, the roof area was noted to contain asbestos roof slates and ridge tiles, the recommended action was assessed as low priority and required the management and monitoring the roof. The school have not been in contact with either the Health & Safety Unit of the Office of Public Works or with the School Building Unit of my Department in regard to asbestos concerns or in regard to any part of the school being condemned due to issues relating to an asbestos roof.

It is open to the school to contact the Health and Safety Unit of the Office of Public Works to request a further Asbestos Survey of the school if they consider that circumstances have altered. It is also open to the school to contact the Remediation Area of the School Building Unit in relation to any urgently required health & safety works.

The school has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band 1.2 rating.

The progression of all large scale building projects, including the appointment of a Design Team for this project, 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.