asked the Minister for Education if she will give details of the proposed changes in building specifications for primary school building as outlined in a media report (details supplied).
Written Answers. - Primary School Building Specifications.
206.
The Deputy is understood to be referring to a statement of mine reported in the media in which I indicated that new primary school projects to be funded from additional moneys would be more basic.
For a fuller explanation of what is involved I would refer the Deputy to my budget address of 4 February 1988 wherein I used the term normal, basic facilities in connection with classroom accommodation. The point which I would wish to emphasise, and which may not have been captured in the media reports, is that while many schemes may during the present period of financial constraint have to be confined in scope by the omission of features such as general purposes areas, libraries and medical inspection rooms, the classroom facilities would conform to normal, basic expectations. These facilities would include as standard such features as toilets, an adequate floor area and suitable levels of insulation.
The question of my Department's issuing changes in building specifications, as such, does not arise since design teams are free to use a variety of suitable materials and design approaches for the provision of authorised accommodation in individual cases.