Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 122: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he expects to be in a position to fulfil, in full or in part, the school building programme in the course of the coming year, with particular reference to requests for additional or replacement facilities or buildings the need for which has been identified in the previous five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19458/11]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 124: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the new schools in County Kildare likely to be opened in the next 12 months; the extent to which this meets the requirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19460/11]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 125: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number and location of school building projects in County Kildare; the number in respect of which construction work is in progress; the number still at planning stage; the degree to which it is intended to advance such works in the course of the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19461/11]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 127: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools at primary and secondary level throughout the country at present which are deemed to be urgently in need of refurbishment or replacement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19463/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 122, 124, 125 and 127 together.

Based on my Department's most recent statistics, it is expected that enrolments will increase nationally from a current enrolment at primary level of circa 509,652 pupils to circa 552,800 pupils by 2017 and at post-primary level from a current enrolment of circa 317,432 pupils to circa 342,300 pupils by 2017. My Department is currently examining all areas of the country to determine where additional provision will be required at both primary and post-primary level up to 2017. This analysis will inform the development of a multi-annual plan for capital investment in schools.

It is within this context that I recently announced that up to 40 new schools are to be established within the next six years, comprising of twenty new primary schools and twenty new post-primary schools. Of the 40 new schools, 17 will be in the Dublin area with a further twelve in the commuter belt of Wicklow, Kildare, Meath and Louth. Six new schools will be established in Cork, three in Galway and one each in Wexford and Cavan.

In addition, it will be necessary to extend the capacity of many existing schools to meet the demand for increased pupil places. Should the demand for increased pupil places emerge in County Kildare, it may be necessary to increase the capacity of schools in the area. Decisions in this regard will be taken in due course.

All large scale building projects, including proposed projects for Kildare, from initial design through to construction phase 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.

Meanwhile, the current status of all projects on the school building programme, including those in County Kildare, may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie and this will be updated regularly throughout the year. For the Deputy's convenience, however, I am including a spreadsheet setting out the proposed projects for schools in Kildare and their current status.