Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to a recent report in a national newspaper that Bank of Ireland is providing €50m funding to build eight schools in a public private partnership, if he will provide details of the eight schools reportedly being built; the overall budget and timescale for completion of construction and commissioning; and the terms under which Bank of Ireland is providing the finance. [51504/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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While my Department is responsible for the policy of PPPs, ownership of individual projects remains with the Sponsoring Department. I have warmly welcomed the recent announcement by my colleague the Minister for Education and Skills, Mr Ruairí Quinn, TD, that the latest Bundle of PPP schools has been signed off on by all partners and that work began on sites around the country last week. Details of the Ministers announcement are on the Department of Education and Skills website www.education.ie.

I understand this investment will provide some 5,700 places for pupils in 8 new schools throughout the country. This will create and sustain important jobs in the construction sector. It will bring the total number of schools delivered under the PPP model in the State to 23. The Bundle of schools consists of 8 individual schools: 7 post primaries and one primary - at the following locations:

Post-primary: Coláiste Ailigh, Letterkenny, Co Donegal: permanent school for the gaelcholáiste established in 2000 (350 pupils); Ballinamore Community School, Co Leitrim: amalgamation of Fatima and Felim's Secondary School and Ballinamore Vocational School (400 pupils); Doughiska Community College, Co Galway: new school for a rapidly growing population in the Doughiska area (650 pupils). It will be provided on a shared campus with the new primary school (see below); Gorey, Co Wexford: new school for a rapidly growing population in the Gorey area (1,000 pupils); Doon/Cappamore, Co Limerick Secondary School, Co Limerick: new school arising from the amalgamation of St. Fintan's Doon, St. Joseph's Doon and Colaiste Phobal Mhichil Cappamore (850 pupils); Tramore Secondary School, Co Waterford: amalgamation of CBS Tramore and Stella Maris schools (1,000 pupils); Athlone Community College, Co Westmeath: replacement for the current building (1,000 pupils) Primary; Doughiska, Co Galway: new school for a rapidly growing population in the Doughiska area on same site as Doughiska Community College (447 pupils).

It has taken some time to get agreement with all the partners on this project and I acknowledge the efforts of all those involved including the procuring authority for this project the National Development Finance Agency, the sponsoring authority the Department of Education and Skills, and our funding partners the EIB and Bank of Ireland and the PPP Consortium Bam Ireland. EIB provided 50% of the funding and I am aware that Bank of Ireland provided the balance of senior debt for this project. The agreed financial terms and the overall budget for the project are commercially sensitive and are therefore confidential. All schools are expected to be completed by 2014.