Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the Government's strategy for capital investment in school building projects over the next four years and to clarify the current position in respect of the proposed building project for Castleknock community college. The five-year construction programme announced in March 2012 identifies the school building projects which are to progress to tender and construction over that time period. There were some school building projects already in architectural planning which were not included in the five-year programme and which may require major refurbishment or the replacement of temporary accommodation. The project for Castleknock community college is one such project. These projects will continue to be progressed to the point where they will be tender-ready but may then need to be deferred for progression to tender and construction at a future date.

The project for Castleknock community college entails construction of a two-storey extension with a total floor area of 2,005 square metres and will include a new sports hall with balcony and changing rooms, ten new classrooms to replace existing temporary accommodation, some ancillary accommodation and a covered link to the existing school building.

The project for Castleknock community college entails construction of a two-storey extension with a total floor area of 2005 m2 and will include a new sports hall with a balcony and changing rooms, ten new classrooms to replace existing temporary accommodation, some ancillary accommodation and a covered link to the existing school building. The new development includes the demolition and removal of two temporary accommodation blocks and the provision of 26 new car spaces and associated external works including landscaping. The project, once complete, will not significantly affect the overall student intake capacity of the school, which has remained stable at just over 1,100 students per annum for the past ten years.

Following consideration of a number of stage 2(b) submissions, the building unit of my Department convened a meeting with the VEC and its design team on 29 May 2012 in order to deal with outstanding design and cost issues. A third revised stage 2(b) submission was received in my Department in December 2012. Further clarification has been sought from the VEC on this stage 2(b) submission and the Department is currently awaiting a response. Following the liquidation of the civil and structural engineering company on the design team, a tender for a replacement consultant is required. The VEC has been authorised to commence this process. Due to competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements, it was not possible to include this project in the five-year construction programme announced in March 2012.

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