My Department sanctioned a grant in September 1992 in respect of the replacement of decayed windows and doors at Kilmuckridge national school, County Wexford. This grant was not availed of by the school authorities, who were seeking an increase in the grant approved in order to replace all of the windows at the school. My Department considered that the remaining windows were in a satisfactory state of repair and did not require replacement at that juncture. My Department is however awaiting a further report from its local professional advisers on the present condition of these windows and when this has been received and considered a decision in the matter will be conveyed to the school authorities at the earliest possible date.
The school authorities also applied under Circular 8/93 issued April 1993, for inclusion in the disadvantaged areas scheme.
Schools are selected for inclusion in this scheme on the basis of priority of need as reflected by a range of socioeconomic criteria.
Factors taken into account include the incidence of unemployment, local authority housing and medical card holders among the parents of the children concerned. Account is also taken of the views of the Department's inspectorate on the relative levels of need between applicant schools.
As I recently announced in the context of the 1994 education budget, I intend that a further 50 primary schools will be designated as disadvantaged for capitation grant purposes in the current year.
The case for this school, together with all other applicant schools, will be considered in this context.
