Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 4 Nov 2003

Vol. 573 No. 3

Written Answers. - Schools Building Projects.

Jackie Healy-Rae

Ceist:

294 Mr. Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will consider allocating the required funding to St. Brendan's national school, Blennerville, Tralee, County Kerry, whose application for a new school has already been approved by his Department in 2000 and for which a suitable site was negotiated by the Office of Public Works in 2002, in view of the fact that there is a possibility of this site being purchased by another interested party. [24799/03]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

In 1999 the board of management of St. Brendan's national school applied to my Department for a new school. Following examination of the application it was agreed that accommodation should be provided for a six teacher school.

A subsequent technical inspection of the existing school and site was carried out and a recommendation was made that a new school on a greenfield site should be provided. The Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department regarding procurement of sites, was asked to investigate and report on suitable sites for the proposed new school. While a number of sites have been identified, investigations in this regard have yet to be completed.

The purchase of a site and advancement of the school's building project to architectural planning will depend on the budgetary provision for 2004 and subsequent years, the rate of progress of existing projects in architectural planning and the priority afforded to each project by reference to the published criteria for prioritising large-scale building projects.

Funding of €48,000 towards temporary accommodation was provided for St Brendan's national school under the 2003 capital programme and in 2002 my Department grant-aided the purchase of two portable structures which had been rented at the school.