Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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544. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress in identifying and securing a site for a planned new second level school (details supplied) in County Cork; when construction will commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45824/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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As the Deputy may be aware, my Department is working with Cork County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites, towards the acquisition of a permanent site to meet the needs of the school to which he refers.

A site acquisition process is underway at present. When the site acquisition has been completed, the project will be progressed to architectural planning.

The school will open in temporary accommodation in September 2016, pending delivery of the permanent accommodation. Officials from my Department have informed the patron body, Educate Together, in relation to this.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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545. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress in identifying and securing a permanent site for a primary school (details supplied) in County Cork; when construction will commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45825/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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As the Deputy may be aware, my Department is working with Cork County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites, towards the acquisition of a permanent site to meet the needs of the school to which he refers.

A site acquisition process is underway at present. When the site acquisition has been completed, the project will be progressed to architectural planning.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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546. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for capital funding for a sports hall by a post primary school (details supplied) in Cork City; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45830/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application for the provision of a sports hall for the school in question. Due to the competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise available funding towards the provision of essential school classroom accommodation, it is not possible at this point to provide an indicative timeframe for the provision of funding for the facility in question.

In that regard, however, significant funding was devolved to the school concerned in 2011 for the provision of four additional general classrooms to meet the schools immediate accommodation needs.

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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547. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills in the context of the recently published schools building programme, if the identification of County Galway as an area where additional provision may be required relates to the provision of a non-denominational second level school, for example, an Educate Together school; if she is carrying out ongoing consultation concerning the provision of second level schools under different patrons in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45835/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where the pressure for school places will arise. The outcome of the latest demographic exercises, based on the GIS, is that on 17th November last, I announced the establishment of 4 primary schools and 9 post-primary schools to open in 2017 and 2018. I also indicated that a number of areas experiencing increased demographic pressure would be kept under ongoing review, including Galway City and Environs.

The patronage determination process for new schools is a separate process, which is run after it is decided that, based on the demographic data, a new school is required. Parental preferences are central to this process and prospective patrons are required to provide evidence of demand for their particular type of school. It is open to all patrons, patron bodies and prospective patrons, including Educate Together, to apply for patronage of a new school under this process.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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548. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has received a request from the board of management of a school (details supplied) for additional funding towards an approved extension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45845/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The school in question was approved funding in 2015 under the Additional Accommodation Scheme to provide two new classrooms and some conversion works to the existing building.

The school authority submitted an application for additional funding in respect of an increased scope of works. While additional funding was made available for the original project at that time, an increase in the scope of works was not approved. The school authority was advised to reduce the scope of works to the original approval.

The school authority has submitted an appeal which is currently being considered and the school will be advised without delay when a decision has been made.