Vol. 574 No. 2
269 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of requests for extra accommodation made to his Department in respect of primary and post-primary schools in County Kildare; when he expects to be in a position to respond positively to these requests, having particular regard to the Estimates for 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26871/03]
The major investment of recent years in upgrading school accommodation has resulted in new and enhanced school accommodation throughout the country. In the five years up to and including 2002, my Department has spent €1,248 million on primary and post-primary school buildings. This is a very significant investment. The Government remains committed to continuing this work and to consolidating the substantial progress that has already been made to ensure that the needs of schools throughout the country are met over time.
To ensure the long-term planning of capital provision through a precise and detailed identification of accommodation needs in schools, my Department has undertaken on a pilot basis a comprehensive inventory of accommodation of 115 primary and post-primary schools in County Kildare. The information gained from the survey will be placed on a geographic information system database. My Department is undertaking a detailed assessment of the pilot phase of the inventory to determine the exact nature and extent of the nationwide survey.
Questions Nos. 270 and 271 answered with Question No. 243.
