Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 February 2005
188 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science the extent to which she intends to take action following the completion of the assessment of primary and second level educational needs in north Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3288/05]
View answerI assume the Deputy is referring the draft area development plan for the N4-M4 area. The commission on school accommodation recently completed the public consultation process on the draft plan and is analysing the contents of the written and oral submissions made in this context. When the process has been completed, the commission will prepare a final plan setting out the blueprint for the development of schools in the area for the next decade. In the meantime, all applications for capital funding from schools in the area are being assessed against the published prioritisation criteria which were revised earlier this year following consultation with the education partners. Progress on individual projects is being considered in the context of the school building programme.
The Deputy will be aware that 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. The announcement is the first in a series I plan to make in the coming period on the schools building and modernisation programme. The programme will include details of schools identified as suitable for construction under public private partnerships, an expansion of the number of schools 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 and schools authorised to commence architectural planning.
