As part of the expansion of the Small Schools Scheme, a grant of €484,000 was sanctioned in March 2007 for the school in question to enable the Board of Management to extend and modernise their school.
The intention of the scheme is to provide funding to schools to enable them to undertake wanted building projects. The scheme is not intended to leave schools with significant fundraising needs but for the school to tailor the scope of capital works commissioned to the available funding. The decision on whether to continue participating in the scheme or to drop out, if the scope of build is more than the funding envelope permits, is a matter for each school authority.
A central tenet of the devolved scheme is that the school, granted discretion and funding, must equally accept responsibility for prioritisation, adherence to statutory regulations, control of costs and ensuring value for money.
The school was approved additional funding to cover unavoidable extra costs associated with the project. They have submitted another appeal for additional funding and my Department will be in contact with the school in the matter in the near future.