Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 32: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he is confident that funding can be secured through public private partnerships to build some of the 40 new primary and post primary schools required over the next six years to meet demographic growth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19181/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I recently announced that up to 40 new schools are to be established within the next six years. The optimum delivery method for each of these schools will be considered on an ongoing basis within the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme and available financial resources. As part of the recent Jobs Initiative announcement I also confirmed that I intend to progress two further bundles of schools to be provided via Public Private Partnership. To date as part of the PPP process, my Department has operated the Design, Build, Finance and Maintain (DBFO) as the preferred option for PPP projects and this has proved a successful vehicle for the funding and delivery of the 11 projects completed to date with a further 6 schools to be completed this year. It is my intention to continue with this PPP model for the delivery of schools' infrastructure projects.