Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Independent)
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333. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a school extension application (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34462/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers has an application with my Department for large scale capital funding. I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department recently sanctioned a devolved grant to facilitate the provision of 3 additional mainstream clasrooms at the school to meet immediate accommodation demand. This project is currently underway. This funding is in addition to the €700,000 grant provided in 2010/2011 to provide for additional mainstream classrooms and some specialist accommodation, also to cater for increasing enrolments. Following on from the success of the 2012 prefab replacement scheme which provided funding for the replacement of over 458 prefab units, I recently announced that a further 46 schools would be offered grants in 2013 to build permanent accommodation to replace 115 prefabs, subject to the schools meeting certain criteria.

All 46 schools have now been written to, including the school referred to by the Deputy, and school responses are currently being assessed to determine the level of accommodation to be replaced under this Scheme. The school in question will be notified of the outcome of this assessment shortly.