Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 18 Jun 2003

Vol. 568 No. 6

Written Answers. - Schools Building Projects.

Willie Penrose

Question:

234 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Science, further to his reply to Question No. 331 of 10 June 2003, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the school in question will have more than 180 pupils on 30 September 2003, and that the said school has been allocated an additional teacher but that there will be no accommodation available for the extra teacher and pupils; if, in this context and in the context that additional temporary accommodation was to have been provided in January 2003 but was not so delivered due to general cutbacks, the promised prefab will be provided to deal with the foregoing situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17155/03]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey):

The 2003 school building programme has now been published and full details in relation to individual projects are available on my Department's website at www.education.ie. On the basis of the budgetary allocation it was not possible to include any further temporary accommodation projects in 2003. I understand the school has applied for an additional mainstream assistant to be appointed on a provisional basis with effect from September 2003 and my Department will be in contact with the school authorities shortly regarding this application. The budgetary allocation for 2004 and subsequent years will determine the rate of progress on projects, including this project, that could not be included in this year's programme.