Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 February 2004
138 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will give priority to St. Colmcille's junior school for its application for €230,000 from the summer works scheme 2004, which represents only a portion of their actual need; and if the extension building for whichit lodged an application in 2000 will be expedited. [4414/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraApplications made to my Department under the summer works scheme will be assessed in strict accordance with the published criteria for the scheme.
Applications under the scheme are currently being processed in my Department and details of successful applicants will be published on my Department's website no later than 27 February 2004.
With regard to the provision of additional accommodation at St. Colmcille's junior school, this project is currently awaiting the appointment of a design team. As I announced when publishing the capital programme for 2004, my Department is holding consultations with the education partners on the prioritisation criteria used for large-scale building projects. The purpose of these consultations is to ensure that the criteria have optimum precision and are fully tuned to meeting the priority accommodation needs of the primary and post primary sectors. When the consultations have been completed, a review of all projects awaiting the appointment of a design team will be undertaken and a further list of priority projects will be brought forward to commence architectural planning. The proposed project at St. Colmcille's junior school will be included in this review.
In addition, a key strategy going forward will be grounded on the budget day announcement of multi-annual allocations for capital investment in education projects. All projects that are not going to construction as part of the 2004 school building programme will be re-evaluated with a view to including them as part of a multi-annual building programme from 2005 onwards.
