Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2004
414 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Science the status of an application for a school extension at a school (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; the timeframe involved for it to proceed further to design stage and construction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32481/04]
View answerThe building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. It has a band 3 rating. The introduction of a multi-annual funding process for school building projects requires a revised approach to how projects are scheduled through the design process and on to tender and construction. To maintain a smooth flow of projects and ensure that the optimum number of projects is ready to go to tender and construction at any given time, I will progress projects on a priority basis that are in the early design stages. I will be providing further details of those projects and notifying the schools concerned early in 2005. In this way I want to create sustained momentum in the schools building programme to match the Government's multi-annual funding commitment.
415 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the criteria, which will be used by her to decide whether a school will be progressed through the public private partnership model or through the school building programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32485/04]
View answerI will be announcing post-primary school projects that are suitable for inclusion in public private partnership, PPP, project bundles in the new year. Once a major building project is approved for any school, the delivery method for the project may be by way of traditional procurement or by way of public private partnership. Projects may be selected for procurement by the public private partnership method where it is considered that the size of the project or bundle of projects will generate interest in the private sector. In addition, the size of the individual schools and their potential to achieve construction efficiencies is considered. Post-primary schools are more likely to fit these criteria. Projects selected for delivery by the PPP method are generally confined to new builds on a greenfield site where the State holds title to the site.
The outcome of an evaluation of completed pilot PPP schools projects will form part of the consideration of further PPP projects together with a thorough assessment of affordability in the context of the competing demands on future capital funding envelopes. EUROSTAT changes to the accounting treatment of PPPs will also be taken into account in the consideration of any new projects.
