Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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155. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for capital funding for two new classrooms by a school (details supplied). [28169/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has approved capital funding to the school in question to construct two resource rooms and a letter of confirmation issued to the school last July. My Department considers that the school has sufficient classrooms for its needs and grant aid was not therefore provided for this purpose.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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156. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools located in the Dublin mid-west constituency that have applied for capital funding; the number that have been allocated capital funding and have had applications refused; and the number of applications that are pending for 2016, 2017 and 2018. [28170/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the Six Year Construction Plan for the period 2016 to 2021, announced in November 2015, outlines the building projects and major extensions that will progress over the lifetime of the Plan. The Plan prioritises projects that in addition to meeting increases in enrolments, have a major deficit of mainstream accommodation capacity for current enrolments, require major refurbishment and replacement of poor accommodation.

My Department does not hold the data to which the Deputy refers on an electoral or constituency area basis. Details of schools who have been approved capital funding are published on my Department's website and this is updated regularly.

Applications from schools for capital funding for future years must be considered in the context of the very significant challenge facing my Department in meeting demand for extra school places to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place. All applications for capital funding must be considered in the context of the available funding, which must of necessity, be prioritised for this purpose and where an additional teacher is being appointed.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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157. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria used by his Department for deciding on applications for capital funding by junior, senior and post primary schools. [28171/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The delivery of school projects so that all schools in an area can between them cater for all students seeking a school place is the main focus of my Department’s capital budget.  To this end, my Department uses a Geographical Information System to identify the areas under increased demographic pressure nationwide. The system uses a range of data sources in carrying out nationwide demographic exercises to determine where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.  The outcome of the latest demographic exercises was that in November 2015, 13 new schools were announced to open nationwide in 2017 and 2018.

The November 2015 announcement also detailed the new building projects and major extensions, including special schools, that will be progressed in areas where significant demographic need has been established. In addition, the 6 Year Programme (2016-21) prioritises projects that in addition to meeting increases in enrolments, have a major deficit of mainstream accommodation capacity for current enrolments, require major refurbishment and replacement of poor accommodation. School projects that were announced under my Department's 5 Year Plan (2012-16) will also be advanced in the Capital Programme.

While all projects included in the Programme are based on the educational and demographic needs of the particular school and area, the decision of when exactly each individual school building project can proceed to tender and construction is based on a number of factors including the stage reached by the project in architectural planning, the level of overall funding available and the other contractual commitments and profiled expenditures extant under the Programme at that time.

 The Capital Programme also provides for devolved funding for smaller scale projects for schools, where an immediate accommodation requirement has been identified, such as the appointment of an additional teacher. In that regard, it is open to schools to apply for funding for additional classroom accommodation, where required.