Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 February 2005
179 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science if she has a report on the outcome of the pilot scheme based on a common template for secondary school sports halls; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3225/05]
View answerSix of these template PE hall projects were included in the 2004 school building programme. Construction is well underway at four of these projects with the remaining two due to proceed to construction early in 2005. When construction is completed, my Department will then be able report on the outcome of these template hall projects.
180 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science if funding will become available in the current year for a sports hall for a school (details supplied) which has been without this basic facility for 25 years; and if her attention has been drawn to the urgency of an early decision to prevent the loss of a privately funded athletics track at the school. [3226/05]
View answerThe provision of a PE hall at the school to which the Deputy refers has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria, which were revised following consultation with the education partners. Progress on this project is being considered in the context of the school building programme.
In this regard, I recently announced the first phase of the 2005 school building programme which provided details of 122 major school building projects countrywide which will prepare tenders and move to construction during 2005. This announcement is the first in a series of announcements I plan to make in the coming period about the schools building and modernisation programme that will include details of schools identified as suitable for construction under public private partnerships; an expansion of the number of schools that will be invited to deliver their building projects on the basis of devolved funding; details of schools with projects approved under the 2005 summer works scheme; schools whose projects will further progress through the design process; schools that will be authorised to commence architectural planning.
