Vol. 529 No. 3
165 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science the position in relation to the provision of the extra facilities required at Rathmore primary school, Naas, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2878/01]
Architectural planning is progressing for the provision of a new eight-classroom primary school at Rathmore, County Kildare.
The school authorities will be kept informed of developments.
166 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science if he or his Department have recently updated their assessment of primary and second level school requirements in the Naas, Kill, Sallins catchment area of County Kildare; if he will report on the current proposals arising from this assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2879/01]
The areas of County Kildare referred to by the Deputy have been the subject of regular review by my Department in recent years, in view of the general growth in population in the north of the county. At primary level, the position is that, in Naas, a new 16-teacher school is currently in architectural planning. In Kill, while a need for a 16-classroom school has been identified, the current school site does not have the capacity to cater for 16 classrooms and appropriate ancillary accommodation. Accordingly, the Office of Public Works has been asked to locate a suitable site in Kill for a new school. Pending the delivery of permanent accommodation, temporary accommodation will be provided as necessary to cope with immediate accommodation needs. In Sallins, a seven-classroom extension to St. Laurence's National School, which will bring the capacity of the school to 16 classrooms, is in architectural planning.
At post-primary level, the position is that Kill and Sallins form part of the Naas post-primary catchment area. Following an evaluation of post-primary school requirements in the area, building projects were approved for all three schools in the centre.
It is envisaged that, when these projects are completed, there will be sufficient accommodation to meet future needs at both primary and post-primary level in Naas, Kill and Sallins.
167 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science the position in relation to the provision of the extra facilities required at Sallins national school, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2880/01]
Architectural planning is progressing for the provision of additional permanent accommodation at Sallins national school. It is not possible at this stage to say when construction will commence, however, the school authorities will be kept informed of developments.
