Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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537. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills with regard to a school (details supplied) in County Sligo, which operates from temporary premises and out of prefabricated classrooms, the current band rating for the school given that the need for a permanent building is more urgent due to an increase in the number of students; if a new list of school buildings which have been identified for capital investment is to be published soon; if this school will be on this list; if her Department has requested Sligo County Council to identify a site for a new school; and if so, the current status of this project. [26140/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My Department is working closely with Sligo County Council in relation to the identification of a permanent site for the school in question and potential site options have been assessed. As the Deputy will appreciate, there are commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally and I am not in a position to comment further on the site acquisition at this time.

I expect to be in a position to announce a successor construction programme later this year. As part of the preparatory process for the programme, a major detailed demographic analysis is currently underway in my Department to identify the particular areas across the country where additional new schools and extensions will be required to meet additional demographic demand.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the accommodation brief for the proposed building project has been approved and the project is currently at an early stage of the architectural planning process. The next step involves the appointment of a Design Team and my officials were in contact with the school in this regard recently.

The project will now be progressed to the final stages of architectural planning and will then be well placed for consideration for inclusion in future construction programmes.

With regard to other accommodation, the school has made an application to my Department for the replacement of prefabs. In light of the progress being made with the major building project, it is not possible to provide funding for the prefab replacement. A letter to this effect issued to the school on 20th May last.