Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 February 2006
351 Mr. N. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will make funding available to a primary school (details supplied) in County Cork where there is a shortfall in funding to provide the necessary facilities. [7348/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of the expansion of the devolved scheme for primary school building works, a grant of €450,000 was sanctioned to enable the management authorities of the school in question to provide additional accommodation. Devolving funding to school management authorities allows them to have control of their projects, assists in moving projects more quickly to tender and construction and can also deliver better value for money.
The initiative is not structured on the basis that the Department funding must be supplemented by local fund-raising. It does however allow a school to supplement the funding from local resources if it so wishes. The critical element is that with devolved authority the school must set the scope of works to match the funding allocated.
The choices to be made within the devolved initiative rest with the school and that is the cornerstone of any policy of devolution. The school authority knows the budget and must decide what it is capable of building with that budget. Schools can raise with my Department any site specific problems or unusual planning stipulations that impose additional costs and these will be examined. Otherwise schools must reduce the scope of intended works so as to remain within budget.
A school does not have to accept the invitation to participate in a devolved initiative and instead be considered for inclusion in the mainstream school building programme in line with the project's priority band rating. An appeal for additional funding by the school in question is being considered in my Department and the school authorities will be notified of the decision.
352 Mr. N. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Science the stage a school project (details supplied) in County Cork has reached; and if this project will be expedited. [7349/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe proposed new eight-classroom building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The new school is as a result of the amalgamation of Kilworth girls and Kilworth boys national schools. My Department's officials wrote to the school authorities on the 23 September 2005 giving approval to proceed to stage 3 — detailed plans and costs — of architectural planning and a response is awaited. A decision on which school building projects will advance to tender and construction will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2006-09.
