The 2003 capital programme has been published and full details in relation to individual projects are available on my Department's website at www.education.ie. The extension at St. Joseph's Patrician College, Nuns Island, is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, stage 4-5 detail-design-bill of quantities.
In view of the scale of the capital programme for 2003 and, having regard to the level of financial commitments to be met from projects already in construction, my Department does not envisage that it will be in a position during this year to allow architectural planning for further large scale projects, including the project at St. Joseph's college, to progress beyond their current authorised stage. The timing of when the project can be progressed will depend on the capital allocation for 2004 and future years.