The Minister for Education, Ms Breathnach, has responded further to the publication by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation of a list of 47 schools described as seriously substandard.
Ms Breathnach said yesterday architectural planning was already under way in 19 of the schools listed and one school had already gone to tender. Four schools had been granted minor capital grants for refurbishment during 1996, while a further 10 await reports from professional staff or from the department's own inspectorate. In two cases, no application for refurbishment work had been received by the Department.
The 11 remaining schools on the list are to be considered for future programmes.