Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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203. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of funding for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19485/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The building project for the school in question is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. All statutory approvals have been obtained and the Stage 2b submission was approved by my Department on 1st June 2016. This means that since this date it has been ready to proceed to tender.

However, on 1st January 2016 there were 66 major projects under construction and since the start of this year 14 more major projects have been progressed to construction and there are currently 36 projects authorised to progress through the tender process with a view to starting on site in the coming months. That represents a total of 116 major projects either under construction or progressing to commence construction in 2016. The project for the school referred to was not at a sufficiently advanced stage to be considered for inclusion with those projects when they were authorized to proceed to tender earlier this year. The existing contractual commitments for 2016 now fully account for the funding which was allocated for 2016 under the previous Minister.

My officials will continue to closely monitor expenditure on existing contractual commitments over the coming months and, as funding allows, other projects, including the project for the school in question will be considered for progression through the tender process with a view to starting on site as soon as possible.