Vol. 435 No. 8
15 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Education the percentage rate of grant aid which would be available to provide a general purpose room at a school (details supplied) in County Cork, where all rooms are presently fully utilised and where a general purpose type room is urgently required.
The rate of grant-aid for capital work at national schools is 85 per cent of the approved cost for schools other than those which are designed as disadvantaged in which case it is 95 per cent of the approved cost.
The present policy of my Department is to restrict capital assistance to the provision of essential classroom accommodation. Accordingly grant-aid is not available at present for general purpose rooms in national schools.
16 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Education the up-to-date position in relation to approval for works on a primary school (details supplied) in County Wexford; if the Board of Management will be contacted as they have had no contact since the Departmental representative visited the school in April 1993; and if, in view of the conditions at the school, she will expedite works in this case.
My Department has approved in principle the provision of grant-aid for a new school to replace the existing national school at Kilnamanagh, County Wexford and architectural planning of the project is proceeding. It is hoped that sketch plans will be forwarded to the chairperson of the Board of Management at an early date for the purpose of obtaining planning permission.
The project will be considered for inclusion in the national schools' capital building programme in due course in the light of available resources and other commitments and priorities.
