Vol. 572 No. 4
147 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science his plans for Fatima national school in St. Mary's Parish, Drogheda; the plans to improve the deplorable condition of the school; if there are plans to avail of an eight-acre site being made available to the school by the parish on which to build a new school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23523/03]
An application for major capital investment from Scoil Mhuire Fatima, Dublin Road, Drogheda is under consideration in my Department. It is considered that the best option for providing accommodation for this school is to build a new school on a site, which is in the ownership of the parish. The timing of when this project can commence architectural planning is dependent on the financial allocation for 2004 and subsequent years and the competing priorities for that funding by reference to the published criteria for prioritising large-scale projects. In the interim, my Department is providing grant aid of €300,000 to the school authority to carry out emergency works at the school. I understand these works are under way and should be completed before the end of the year.
