Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 June 2004
143 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will issue a response to concerns raised by the parents‘ association of a school (details supplied) in Callan, County Kilkenny; the reason no action was taken to date; and the plans of action which will now be implemented. [17980/04]
View answerIt would appear that the scope of works at the school referred to by the Deputy is appropriate for consideration under the summer works scheme. The school did not apply for funding under the scheme for 2004.
It is open to the management authority to apply for key priority works required at the school as part of the 2005 scheme, details of which will be announced later this year.
144 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the refurbishment work that urgently needs to be carried out to a school (details supplied) in Ballymote on the science lab which was built in 1960 and needs to cater for the introduction of new junior cycle science course and the gymnasium roof, which was constructed in 1985-87; if this work will be prioritised; when it will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17996/04]
View answerMy Department's planning and building unit has received applications for grant aid to replace fixtures and fittings in this school's science laboratory and also to repair the gymnasium roof.
Grant aid of €3,500 per science laboratory was available to all schools at post-primary level to enable them provide the revised science syllabus for the junior certificate examination. In addition, further funding was provided to schools, which did not have major capital investment to their science facilities since 1995. These grants have been paid to all schools, which notified my Department that they were opting into the revised syllabus.
Coláiste Mhuire, Ballymote, made no application for grant aid under this scheme.
All schools that did not apply for funding in 2003 were recently sent a circular — M42/04 — advising them how to apply for funding in 2004.
The funding available to my Department for capital works in 2003 was finite and my Department was unable to sanction a project in 2003 to repair the gymnasium roof. The school did not apply for funding to repair the gymnasium roof as part of their application for funding under the summer works scheme in 2004.
