The management authorities of the school referred to by the Deputy wrote to my Department in April 2000 requesting additional accommodation. My Department's planning and building unit issued an application form to the school in May 2000 and the completed form was returned in September 2000. The school was given approval in October 2001 to commence architectural planning. A stage 3 submission — detailed plans and costs — was received from the school in October 2002.
Following examination of the submission the school authorities were informed that an extension and refurbishment project could proceed at the school provided that it could be delivered within an upper cost limit of €100,000. The school authorities were requested to submit a revised stage 3 submission based on the upper cost limit. The revised stage 3 submission was received in January 2004 and the school has been recently informed that 70% of the funding must be drawn down before the end of November 2004. Provision for the remaining 30% will have to be included as a commitment in the 2005 budgetary allocation which will be in the context of the multi-annual approach which I am adopting, further details of which will be available later this year.