To ask the Minister of Education (i) what progress has been made in updating the School Buildings Handbook; (ii) why the new handbook was not issued in Autumn 2008; (iii) when she anticipates the new handbook will be issued; and (iv) for an assessment of the impact its delay will have on the tranche of new build schools that are in the design stage.

Thug an Roinn faoi ghníomh anuraidh le hathbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar an lámhleabhar um thógáil bunscoileanna.

The department undertook an exercise last year to review the primary school building handbook. The update was not issued in the autumn because the work had not been completed. I expect the exercise will be concluded shortly. It is not anticipated that this change in timetable will have a detrimental effect on those primary schools currently in the design process.