Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2010
272 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the progress made on an application for a new school (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; the current status of this application and the advice as to the way in which the school management might progress its application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32503/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding to construct a new school on a greenfield site. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 2 rating.
There are four band ratings under the prioritisation 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.
Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major capital works, including this project, is now available on the Department's website at www.education.ie.
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 Department's capital budget, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of a project at the school in question at this time.
