Tanaiste and Education Minister Mary Coughlan has announced details of the School Building Programme for the Department of Education and Skills for 2011.

The announcement also includes plans for the establishment of nine new post primary schools which will open between 2012 and 2016.

According to the Department of Education and SkillClose to €400m will be spent on school buildings in 2011. All of this investment will result in much-needed additional school places being provided, which will meet the needs of our growing school-going population, arising from the increase in birth rates in recent years, while also addressing the needs of many existing schools.

A total of 102 projects will begin the process of appointing design teams (architect, engineer and quantity surveyor) in 2011. The design teams will then begin work on designing major projects for the schools in question.

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There are 42 schools currently being advanced to secure planning permission, with a view to tendering as soon as planning has been secured, 41 schools – each major building projects – will go to tender in 2011.

A further 48 major projects, currently at tender stage, are scheduled to award contracts in 2011 and will start on site as soon as possible thereafter.

51 major school building projects which are currently on-site and work will continue on these during the year, 123 other schools on which design teams are presently deployed are being progressed through the system.

Minister Coughlan also referred to applications for the Summer Works Scheme 2011 which have been received by the Department which are currently being assessed.

"Unfortunately, it is not possible to progress all projects at once. This means that it was necessary to prioritise those projects which meet the most urgent needs. I recognise that this means that there will be some schools unhappy that their project will not be progressing to tender and construction in 2011.

"However, these projects will be considered for progression in future years under the multi-annual school building and modernisation programme," she said.