Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 May 2009
577 Deputy Noel J. Coonan asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the provision of a new classroom at a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the reason grant aid for the project has been withdrawn; if his attention has been drawn to the consequences of such a withdrawal on the lives of numerous children; when the project will move to the next stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17471/09]
View answerThe authority from the school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for additional accommodation to my Department. If successful, the school proposed using the grant aid to provide a permanent classroom. Following an assessment of the information supplied by the school authority in its application, the school authority was advised that the application was refused on the basis that the General Purpose room in the school represented spare capacity within the school. The school authority recently appealed this decision, clarifying that the GP room was already in use for learning support. On that basis, the appeal was upheld and the application for additional accommodation was approved. A letter to this effect recently issued to the school authority.
