I propose to take Questions Nos. 681 and 685 together.
I am aware of the school in question and have discussed this matter with the Deputy and other local representatives. I am also aware that the school serves two RAPID areas.
The school originally applied to my Department for capital funding for a PE Hall. It subsequently submitted a revised application to include additional classroom accommodation.
As the Deputy is aware, all applications for large scale capital funding are assessed against published prioritisation criteria which were formulated following consultation with the Education Partners.
Under the criteria, each project is assigned a Band Rating which reflects the type of works required and the urgency attaching to them. Band Ratings do not reflect the length of time an application is in the system because, such an approach could lead to a situation where lower priority projects could absorb the funding available, thereby preventing higher priority projects from being delivered.
The length of time a project is in the system may be used as a means, however, to select within Bands when this is necessary.
There are four Band Ratings in all with Band 1 being the highest and Band 4 the lowest. A Band 2 rating has been assigned to the project in question which reflects the fact that the school has a deficit of mainstream accommodation.
The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the Department, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of the project at this time.
