Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a proposed building project for a school (details supplied) in County Cavan; if he proposes to restore this project to his School Building Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41997/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The design team are currently working on the completion of Stage 2(a) (Developed Sketch Design). Officials of the Planning & Building Unit of my Department held a meeting in September with a delegation from the School Authority in which the current position was fully explained to the delegation.

Due to competing demands on my Department's capital budget, imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements, it was not possible to include the project referred to by the Deputy in the five year construction programme. As the Deputy is aware, schools which have not been included in the five year construction programme, but which were announced for initial inclusion in the building programme will continue to be progressed to final planning stages in anticipation of the possibility of further funds being available to my Department in future years. The project referred to by the Deputy remains available to be considered for progression in that context.