Pat Breen
Ceist:173 Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will review the status of a project (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42369/09]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 19 November 2009
Ceisteanna (173)
Freagraí scríofa
As the Deputy is aware, the school to which he refers has made an application to my Department for Major Capital funding for an extension including ancillary accommodation. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major capital works, including the project referred to by the Deputy, are now available on my Department's website at www.education.ie.
The priority attaching to individual projects is determined by published prioritisation criteria, which were formulated following consultation with the Education Partners. There are four band ratings under these criteria, each of which describes the extent of accommodation required and the urgency attaching to it. Band 1 is the highest priority rating and Band 4 is the lowest. Documents explaining the band rating system are also available on my Department's website.
The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered in the context of the 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. In the meantime, the school was recently approved for funding for the provision of additional accommodation for one Mainstream Classroom. The Department has recently received correspondence from the school regarding the project and will be in contact with the school authorities shortly in this regard.