Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 July 2006
736 Mr. English asked the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 454 of 6 December 2005, the progress which has been made by her Department in the provision of extensions for schools (details supplied) in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26320/06]
View answerWith regard to the first school referred to by the Deputy, the building project for this school is at an early stage of architectural planning. My Department's officials wrote to the school authorities in February 2006 advising them that they should proceed to prepare and submit a revised stage 1 submission (site suitability, briefing and site report). As the Board of Management is the client for the project, responsibility for ensuring that the stage submission is forwarded to my Department lies with it. Further progress on the project can be considered when the revised stage 1 submission is received.
In relation to the second school referred to by the Deputy, the School Planning Section of my Department is currently carrying out a review of the long-term accommodation needs of this school. It will be in further contact with the school authorities in this matter as soon as possible.
In relation to the third school, the building project for this school is also at an early stage of architectural planning. Officials from my Department visited the school on 29 June last to discuss the way forward for the project. The Board of Management undertook to submit proposals in writing to my Department in relation to possible accommodation solutions. Further progress on the school project can be considered when these proposals are received and examined.
737 Mr. English asked the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 455 of 6 December 2005, the progress which has been made by her Department in the provision of extensions for schools (details supplied) in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26321/06]
View answerWith regard to the first school referred to by the Deputy my Department has not received any application for additional permanent accommodation from this school.
In relation to the second school referred to by the Deputy this school was sanctioned to commence architectural planning for the provision of a new school on a new site as part of the 2006 School Building Programme.
738 Mr. English asked the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 455 of 6 December 2005, the progress which has been made by her Department in the provision of a new school (details supplied) in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26322/06]
View answerThe site for the school referred to by the Deputy is being acquired by my Department under the terms of the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002. My Department has accepted in principle a site in Kells which was offered under the terms of the property aspect of the Indemnity Agreement between the State and 18 Religious Congregations dated 5th June 2002.
Documentation in relation to the transfer of ownership is currently being examined by the Chief State Solicitor's Office. The project in question is one of the 23 new post-primary schools announced to be built under the Government's Public Private Partnership arrangements.
739 Mr. English asked the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 455 of 6 December 2005, the progress which has been made by her Department in the provision of extensions for schools (details supplied) in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26323/06]
View answerAn application for an extension from the first school referred to by the Deputy is currently under consideration in the School Planning Section of my Department. Contact will be made with the school authority as soon as a decision is taken in the matter.
In relation to the second school referred to by the Deputy, this school's application for an extension is currently at stage 3 of the architectural planning process and my Department's Building Section is in the process of arranging a further meeting with the school authorities to progress this project further.
740 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the status of the application for a new school (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26373/06]
View answerThe Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department in relation to site acquisitions generally, has identified a site for the school in question. An agreement has been reached, subject to Contract, on the acquisition of this site.
As soon as the site has been acquired the school building project can then be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2006-2010.
